Comparative study on the effect of Baihui (GV 20), Shuigou (GV 26) and Shenmen (HT 7) on cognition of patients with vascular dementia

Objective: To study the relative specificity of Baihui (GV 20), Shuigou (GV 26) and Shenmen (HT 7) in improving the cognitive function of patients with vascular dementia (VD). Method: Fifty VD cases were randomized into 5 groups, which were treated with routine points, routine points plus Baihui (GV 20), routine points plus Shuigou (GV 26), routine points plus Shenmen (HT 7), and routine points plus the above-mentioned three points together respectively. The scale of elderly cognitive function (SECF) was measured before and after the treatment for statistical management. Results: The total score of SECF was markedly increased after Baihui (GV 20), Shuigou (GV 26) and Shenmen (HT 7) were added to the routine points, more specifically, with addition of Baihui (GV 20), the patients with VD got increased scores in such aspects as orientation, instant memory, long-term anamnesis, animal names, cancellation and calculation, and classification and analogy; with addition of Shuigou (GV 26), the patients with VD got increased scores in such aspects as orientation, cancellation and calculation, and classification and analogy; with addition of Shenmen (HT 7), the patients with VD got increased scores in such aspects as digital scope, animal names, and classification and analogy. Conclusion: Baihui (GV 20), Shuigou (GV 26) and Shenmen (HT 7) could improve the cognitive function of patients with VD, and the combination of the three points got the best result despite their respective specificity.