Acupuncture Therapy for Cognitive Impairment: A Delphi Expert Consensus Survey

Xin-Tong Su, Li-Qiong Wang, Jin-Ling Li, Na Zhang, Lu Wang, Guang-Xia Shi, Jing-Wen Yang, Cun-Zhi Liu, Xin-Tong Su, Li-Qiong Wang, Jin-Ling Li, Na Zhang, Lu Wang, Guang-Xia Shi, Jing-Wen Yang, Cun-Zhi Liu

Abstract

Background: Current research evidence challenges clinical decision-making when acupuncture is taken into consideration in the treatment of cognitive impairment (CI). Aiming to provide some viable recommendations for acupuncture practitioners in dealing with actual clinic issues, an expert consensus study was conducted.

Methods: A clinical question investigation among 47 acupuncturists yielded 24 initial items. Subsequently, systematic reviews on acupuncture for CI were searched within three online databases. A panel of 30 authoritative experts were requested to respond with agreement, neutrality, or disagreement for each item. Consensus establishment was defined as the percentage of agreement on a given item >80%.

Results: Following a 2-round Delphi survey, there were 21 items reaching consensus and three items resulting in no consensus; of which 10 items reached 90∼100% agreement, and 80∼90% expert agreement was achieved for 11 items. These items could be roughly categorized into six domains: (1) therapeutic effects of acupuncture, (2) therapeutic principles, (3) acupoint selection and combination, (4) acupuncture parameters, (5) considerable combined therapies, and (6) possible adverse events.

Conclusion: Without ready-made guidelines, this expert consensus may be conducive to guide acupuncturists in implementing clinical acupuncture practice for CI. Moreover, given the lack of high-quality research evidence and plenty of unresolved clinical issues in this field, it is of necessity to carry out more studies to better clarify the treatment algorithm.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; acupuncture; cognitive impairment; dementia; expert consensus; vascular dementia.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Copyright © 2020 Su, Wang, Li, Zhang, Wang, Shi, Yang and Liu.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Work-flow diagram of the consensus development process.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The items which met consensus in Round 1 of the Delphi survey.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
The items that did not reach consensus in the 2-round Delphi survey.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
The items which met consensus in Round 2 of the Delphi survey.

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