The effect of acupuncture plus drug versus drug alone on patients with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review

Objective: The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the effect of acupuncture plus drug versus drug alone on patients with MCI. Methods: A computerized search of the databases was performed from inception through February 2015. The screening of literature, the extraction of data and the assessment of methodology were independently undertaken by two reviewers. Then, a meta-analysis was performed by Review manager 5.3 version. Results: A total of 18 RCTs involving 1095 participants were incorporated into this study. Meta-analysis suggested that acupuncture plus drug for MCI could significantly improve Mini-Mental State Examination scores (MMSE) (MD1.73, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.18, random-effects model, P 0.00001, 12trials). Activities of Daily Living scores(ADL) could be significantly improved (MD 5.63, 95%CI 4.40 to 6.87, fixed-effect model, P 0.001, 6 trials). Conclusion: With present evidences, acupuncture plus drug is more effective than drug alone for the treatment of MCI.