Based on fNIRS Technology: The Effects of Scalp Acupuncture Combined with iTBS on Cognitive Function After Stroke
Bibliographic record
Abstract
Background Stroke is recognized as the second primary cause of mortality and disability worldwide. Cognitive dysfunction often remains a residual issue post-stroke. Objective To explore the impact of integrating scalp acupuncture with iTBS therapy on cognitive impairments post-stroke. Methods This study was a randomized, controlled, single-blind trial. Fifty-four patients completed the study and were allocated into the SA group, iTBS group, and combined group using a random number table method. The SA group received scalp acupuncture treatment for 4 weeks, the iTBS group underwent intermittent theta burst stimulation for 4 weeks, and the combined group received both scalp acupuncture and iTBS treatments for 4 weeks. All enrolled patients also received standard pharmacological and conventional rehabilitation treatments, six days a week, for four weeks in total. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) before treatment (baseline) and after treatment (4 weeks). Additionally, changes in cerebral hemodynamics during the experiment were measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Results Scalp acupuncture therapy, iTBS therapy, and the combination of scalp acupuncture with iTBS therapy all significantly activated the cortical regions of the frontal and temporal lobes in patients with Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment No Dementia (PSCIND) ( P < 0.05). Compared to scalp acupuncture or iTBS therapy alone, the combined therapy activated more channels, with more significant activation in the right Superior Temporal Cortex (r-STC), right Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex (r-VLPFC), Medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC), left Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex (l-VLPFC), right Superior Frontal Cortex (r-SFC), and left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (l-DLPFC) ( P < 0.05). The combined therapy enhances cognitive functions in PSCIND patients, exhibiting superior clinical effectiveness compared to either scalp acupuncture or iTBS therapy when used individually ( P < 0.05). Conclusion The combination of scalp acupuncture with iTBS therapy represents a novel and promising neurorehabilitation treatment technique for post-stroke cognitive impairment. Future clinical research is needed to explore its therapeutic mechanisms and further refine this technique.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.000 | 0.001 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.001 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.002 | 0.001 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Open science | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Research integrity | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.002 | 0.000 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".