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Abstract Title: - Neuroimaging by Evaluating Nerve Renovation and Neuroplasticity of Acupuncture in Children with Cerebral Palsy
Keynote Speaker - Dr. Zhenhuan LIU (Oral Presentation - In-Person)
Nanhai Maternity and Children Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, China
Abstract:
Objective:
To investigate the effect of acupuncture on brain plasticity and motor development in children with cerebral palsy. This study aims to explore its mechanisms, including the regulation of brain nerve cell apoptosis, neurotrophic factor expression, synaptic structure remodeling, and overall motor development in young rats with cerebral palsy. Additionally, the study evaluates both the therapeutic effect and mechanisms of acupuncture, as well as its nerve repair potential in cerebral palsy.
Methods:
This randomized controlled study included 146 cases of brain injury and 1,078 cases of cerebral palsy. Evaluations were based on ICF gross motor function measures, Peabody fine motor function scale, Gesell developmental scales, muscle tone assessments, joint mobility, activities of daily living, transcranial Doppler (TCD), cranial B-ultrasound, brain MRI, SPECT, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography.
Results:
● The extracellular space recovery rate (92.3%) in the acupuncture group was significantly higher than the control group (70.8%) (P < 0.05).
● The total efficiency of TCD was 79.3% in the acupuncture group compared to 51.8% in the control group (P < 0.05).
● Acupuncture significantly promoted neuro-cognitive and motor development in infants under 6 months, reducing neurological sequelae.
● The total effective rate in the acupuncture group for children with cerebral palsy was 87%, significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.01).
● Brain MRI improvement rate was 59.55%, which was 13.25% higher than the control group (P < 0.01).
● In a 1-year follow-up, the total effective rate reached 91.3%, also significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.01).
● FA values of white matter fiber bundles significantly improved after 60 acupuncture sessions (P < 0.05).
● Ultrasonographic brain injury recovery in the acupuncture group was 86.7% versus 64.4% in the control (P < 0.05).
● SPECT recovery rate was 96.4% in the acupuncture group, significantly higher than the control (P < 0.01).
Conclusion:
Acupuncture-based rehabilitation not only promotes the development of white and gray matter in children with cerebral palsy but also aids brain function remodeling and compensation. It enhances social adaptability, language, cognitive functions, and both gross and fine motor development, ultimately improving self-care abilities in affected children.
Keywords:
Biography:
Prof. Zhenhuan Liu is a renowned pediatric neurologist and acupuncturist, Ph.D. tutor, and expert in integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. With over 40 years of clinical and rehabilitation experience, he has led a team treating more than 40,000 children with intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and autism from China and over 20 countries. More than 26,800 of these children have returned to school and society and become self-sufficient. His rehabilitation outcomes rank among the top internationally.
He serves as Vice-Chairman of the Rehabilitation Professional Committee for Children with Cerebral Palsy, World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, and has been a Visiting Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong for the past 10 years. He has edited 10 books and published 268 papers in both international and Chinese medical journals.