Clinical Study of Huatan Tongluo Decoction in the Treatment of Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment Based on BDNF Pathway

OBJECTIVE To observe the clinical efficacy of Huatan Tongluo Decoction in the treatment of post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) with phlegm stasis obstructing collaterals syndrome, and its influence on the serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) pathway-related factors.

METHODS Sixty patients who met the inclusion criteria were collected and randomly divided into a control group and a treatment group with 30 patients each. The control group was given basic treatment and nimodipine, while the treatment group was given Huatan Tongluo Decoction on the basis of the treatment in the control group. The treatment course for both groups was 4 weeks. Changes in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), TCM syndrome scores and serum levels of BDNF, nuclear transcription factor κB(NF-κB), B lymphocyte tumor-2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. The TCM clinical efficacy in the two groups of patients was evaluated after treatment, and the occurrence of adverse reactions was observed during treatment.

RESULTS After treatment, the MMSE scores of the patients in the two groups increased significantly, the total TCM syndrome scores decreased significantly (P < 0.01), and the treatment group was better than the control group (P < 0.01); the serum BDNF, NF-κB, and Bcl-2 levels of the two groups of patients were significantly increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and the Bax level was significantly decreased (P < 0.01). The treatment group was better than the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION Huatan Tongluo Decoction can improve the clinical symptoms of PSCI patients with phlegm stasis obstructing collaterals, and is safe and effective. Its therapeutic mechanism may be related to regulating the BDNF pathway to protect nerve cells and inhibit nerve cell apoptosis.