Effects of Acupuncture Combined with Conventional Rehabilitation Training for Patients with Post-Stroke Dysphagia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Stroke is a significant global public health challenge. Evidence suggests that acupuncture contributes to the treatment and rehabilitation of post-stroke dysphagia (PSD), effectively improving swallowing function and enhancing patients' quality of life. This study aimed to examine the effects of acupuncture combined with conventional rehabilitation training (CRT) on swallowing function, neurotransmitter levels, nutritional status, and swallowing-related quality of life in patients with PSD.

Methods: Following screening, 90 patients with PSD were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (receiving acupuncture combined with CRT) or the control group (receiving CRT only). Both groups underwent treatment six times per week for four weeks. Primary outcome measures included the standardized swallowing assessment (SSA), the modified Mann assessment of swallowing ability (MMASA), the water swallowing test (WST), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) levels. Secondary outcomes assessed swallowing-related quality of life and nutritional indicators.

Results: Compared with baseline data, both groups showed improvements after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, with reductions in SSA scores and increases in MMASA, hemoglobin (HB), albumin (ALB), serum total protein (STP), swallowing quality of life questionnaire (SWAL-QoL) scores, and WST performance. And the intervention group exhibited significantly greater improvements than the control group at the fourth week. Notably, the 5-HT levels in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group after 4 weeks (362.44±88.63 vs 310.16±86.79, P = 0.006).

Conclusion: A 4-week course of acupuncture combined with CRT demonstrated significant benefits in enhancing swallowing function, neurotransmitter levels, nutritional status, and quality of life in patients with PSD.