Vascular cognitive impairment no dementia (VCIND) is a condition characterized as an early stage of VCI in individuals who are at higher risk of developing dementia. The article written by Yang et al. (2019) focuses on the study which evaluates the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment in patients with VCIND. Treatment of VCIND presents one of the possible methods for the prevention of dementia. One of the common medicines used for the treatment of cognitive disturbances in patients with VCIND is citicoline. On the other hand, acupuncture is a practice from traditional Chinese medicine which gained significant popularity for its beneficial effects on patients undergoing rehabilitation from stroke and patients with cognitive disorders (Yang et al., 2019). The article’s findings suggest that acupuncture presents a more effective medical treatment alternative than citicoline.
Firstly, the methodology of the study is designed in accordance with the randomization principle. The benefits of the randomized controlled trial method include the elimination of the bias component and more accurate results in defining the connection between intervention and its effect on treatment compared to other study designs (Hariton & Locascio, 2018). The primary task for researchers in randomized controlled trial is to carefully select the population to ensure the balance in the randomization of participants’ characteristics. The study conducted by Yang et al. (2019) recruited participants through posters and newspaper advertisements. Furthermore, the potential candidates had to pass several requirements to be included in the trial. The requirements included age criteria, education, cognitive functioning, presence of neurological or psychiatric disorders, and brain injuries.
Next, the choice of participant recruitment methods used in the study could have influenced the research outcomes. According to Bracken et al. (2019), advertising strategies for recruiting trial participants are more effective in women than men, and mailing can be more effective in older adults. Moreover, community outreach can provide assistance in recruiting participants from vulnerable populations. Thus, utilizing more inclusive recruitment strategies in the study could have increased the accuracy of the trial results.
Furthermore, the authors provide insufficient information regarding the therapy process in explaining the methodology of acupuncture treatment received by one of the participant groups. In particular, the description of the procedure is limited to the list of 16 acupuncture points where sterilized needles were inserted into participants during the treatment process (Yang et al., 2019). The specific 16 points of needle insertion for the therapy were provided in the recommendations of an expert panel. However, the authors do not mention which experts they consulted for selecting acupuncture therapy methods, and the study does not provide an evidence base for choosing specific acupoints. The problem with acupuncture research in the lack of substantial terminology and scientific validity of acupoints was previously addressed by Langevin and Wayne (2018). Thus, while the study presents a significant insight into the alternative methods for treating patients with VCIND, it does not address the scientific validity of acupoints in the context of acupuncture research.
In conclusion, this essay identified two significant drawbacks in the article. Firstly, the authors did not provide an explanation of their choice in the recruitment of participants; using a combination of several recruitment strategies could improve the accuracy of the research results. Lastly, the article does not include an evidence base explaining the role of specific acupoints in improving cognitive performance, which negatively impacts the article’s findings.
References
Bracken, K., Askie, L., Keech, A. C., Hague, W., & Wittert, G. (2019). Recruitment strategies in randomised controlled trials of men aged 50 years and older: a systematic review.BMJ Open, 9(4), 1-17.
Hariton, E., & Locascio, J. J. (2018). Randomised controlled trials – the gold standard for effectiveness research: Study design: randomised controlled trials.BJOG : An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 125(13), 1-4.
Langevin, H. M., & Wayne, P. M. (2018). What is the point? The problem with acupuncture research that no one wants to talk about.The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 24(3), 200-207.
Yang, J. W., Shi, G. X., Zhang, S., Tu, J.-F., Wang, L. Q., Yan, C.-Q., Lin, L. L., Liu, B. Z., Wang, J., Sun, S. F., Yang, B. F., Wu, L. Y., Tan, C., Chen, S., Zhang, Z. J., Fisher, M., & Liu, C.-Z. (2019). Effectiveness of acupuncture for vascular cognitive impairment no dementia: a randomized controlled trial.Clinical Rehabilitation, 33(4), 642–652.