Managing dementia : review on the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

• Main Authors: Wong, Fang Yan, Lee, Zhi Qi Glenice, B., Gayethri
• Other Authors: Michael David Gumert
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/70633
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This review paper examined the efficacies of two Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) techniques, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, in managing the cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia. Eight medical and psychological research databases were searched through and the search yielded 17 studies that met the inclusion criteria of this review. These 17 studies included four on acupuncture and 13 on herb concoctions of which nine investigated the same concoction, Yi-Gan-San. Results for the efficacy of acupuncture treatment on managing dementia indicated that more research is needed due to limited studies and conflicting findings. However, the results of Chinese herbal medicine appeared to be efficacious in managing these symptoms of dementia. Specifically, the results suggested that Chinese herb concoctions (other than Yi-Gan-San) helped relieve cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia while Yi-Gan-San was found to relieve only neuropsychiatric symptoms. This review also cautioned that the side effects from TCM treatments might be comparable to conventional interventions for dementia. Finally, the review identified and examined the factors that could have influenced the efficacies of the TCM treatments investigated in the included studies. These factors include unstandardised treatment, participants’ characteristics, compositions of the different herb concoctions, and validity of the studies. Limitations of the present review are discussed and future directions are also suggested.