Retrospective Study on the Treatment of Vascular Parkinsonism Mild Cognitive Impairment with Naoluotong Paste

  OBJECTIVE  To retrospectively observe the distribution characteristics of syndrome pattern in Chinese medicine of vascular Parkinsonism mild cognitive impairment (VP-MCI) and to analyze the clinical efficacy of Naoluotong paste in the treatment of brain blockage caused by phlegm and collateral blockage caused by blood stasis.

  METHODS  A total of 108 cases of VP-MCI were collected and analyzed for their syndrome patterns in Chinese medicine and distribution characteristics. Among them, 75 cases of VP-MCI with brain blockage caused by phlegm and collateral blockage caused by blood stasis were divided into treatment and control groups according to the treatment of Naoluotong paste combined with donepezil and donepezil alone. The treatment course was 4 weeks. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, Mini MentalState Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS), as well as changes in blood flow velocity in the bilateral cephalic and cervical vessels were observed before and after treatment in both groups.

  RESULTS  In 108 patients with VP-MCI, 69.44% of them were identified as brain blockage caused by phlegm and collateral blockage caused by blood stasis. After treatment, the main TCM syndrome scores were significantly reduced in the treatment group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), whose result was better than that in the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Besides, the MoCA score in the treatment group was significantly increased (P < 0.01), whose result was better than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The mean blood flow in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) were significantly improved in the treatment group. The mean blood flow velocity of bilateral anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) in the treatment group was significantly higher than that before treatment (P < 0.05), and compared with the control group(P < 0.05).

  CONCLUSION  The main syndrome pattern in Chinese medicine of VP-MCI is brain blockage caused by phlegm and collateral blockage caused by blood stasis. Naoluotong paste combined with donepezil can significantly improve cerebral blood flow and cognition level in VP-MCI patients with brain blockage caused by phlegm and collateral blockage caused by blood stasis.