Acupuncture for Mild Cognitive Impairment in Vascular Parkinsonism: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Trial...

Vascular parkinsonism (VP) is a form of secondary parkinsonism caused by cerebrovascular disease and is typically associated with progressive cognitive decline, which greatly disrupts patients' daily lives and well-being. Vascular parkinsonism with mild cognitive impairment (VP-MCI) represents an early and potentially reversible stage of cognitive dysfunction, and an important window for early intervention. However, effective therapies for VP-MCI remain limited. Acupuncture is a non-pharmacological intervention that has shown potential benefits for motor and cognitive functions in vascular-related disorders. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in patients with VP-MCI and to explore possible mechanisms.

This is a prospective, two-center, randomized, controlled, and assessor-blinded clinical trial. A total of 105 patients with VP-MCI and 12 healthy controls will be enrolled. Patients will be randomly assigned to acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or waiting-list groups. Participants in the intervention groups will receive verum or sham acupuncture three times per week for 8 weeks (24 sessions in total), with each session lasting 30 minutes. Patients in the waiting-list group will receive acupuncture after completion of the trial. The primary outcome is the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Secondary outcomes include the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Part III of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-III), Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Transcranial Color-Coded Doppler (TCCD), serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) levels, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

This trial is designed to provide clinical evidence for the efficacy of acupuncture in alleviating cognitive impairment in VP-MCI, and to explain its underlying mechanism. The findings are expected to support acupuncture as a potential complementary therapy for the early management of VP-MCI.