Comparative efficacy and safety of Chinese patent medicines of acute ischemic stroke: A network meta-analysis.

Background: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is characterized by high morbidity, disability, mortality, recurrence, and economic burden. Clinical trials have demonstrated that the clinical efficacy of combining oral Chinese patent medicines (CPMs) with chemical drugs (CDs) is better than that of CDs alone. In this study, we performed a network meta-analysis (NMA) of RCTs to assess the efficacy of different CPMs in combination with CDs in the treatment of AIS.

Odor Identification Test in Idiopathic REM-Behavior Disorder and Parkinson's Disease in China.

Background: Olfactory dysfunction is common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD), which is a risk factor in the development of PD. However, a few studies have conflicting results when comparing dysosmia in the patients with iRBD and PD. There is no study investigating the olfactory function in Chinese patients with iRBD.

Inhibition of Rho-kinase by Fasudil protects dopamine neurons and attenuates inflammatory response in an intranasal lipopolysaccharide-mediated Parkinson's model.

Microglia activation and inflammatory factors in brain microenvironment are associated with degeneration of neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and various PD models. There is increasing evidence that the Rho/ROCK (Rho kinase) signalling pathway may play a critical role in the inflammatory response, and ROCK inhibitor has been reported to have neuroprotective effects. In this study, we examined the neuroprotective potential and possible mechanism of ROCK inhibitor Fasudil in an intranasal lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced PD model.

Effects of electroacupuncture therapy for Bell's palsy from acute stage: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Although many patients with facial paralysis have obtained benefits or completely recovered after acupuncture or electroacupuncture therapy, it is still difficult to list intuitive evidence besides evaluation using neurological function scales and a few electrophysiologic data. Hence, the aim of this study is to use more intuitive and reliable detection techniques such as facial nerve magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nerve electromyography, and F waves to observe changes in the anatomic morphology of facial nerves and nerve conduction before and after applying acupuncture or electroacupuncture, and to verify their effectiveness by combining neurological function scales.

Methods/design: A total of 132 patients with Bell's palsy (grades III and IV in the House-Brackmann [HB] Facial Nerve Grading System) will be randomly divided into electroacupuncture, manual acupuncture, non-acupuncture, and medicine control groups.

[Wuling capsule played an assistant role in primary prevention of post-stroke depression: a clinical research].

Objective: To observe the primary prevention role of Wuling Capsule (WC) on poststroke depression (PSD) patients.

Methods: Acute stroke patients were recruited and randomized into 2 groups by stratification, 55 in each group. All patients received same routine treatment of cardiovascular diseases.