Associations between the size and location of myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction

Cordyceps: Alleviating ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular injury - A comprehensive review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Cordyceps has a long medicinal history as a nourishing herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Ischemic cardio-cerebrovascular diseases (CCVDs), including cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury (CI/RI) and myocardial ischemic/reperfusion injury (MI/RI), are major contributors to mortality and disability in humans. Numerous studies have indicated that Cordyceps or its artificial substitutes have significant bioactivity on ischemic CCVDs, however, there is a lack of relevant reviews.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This review was conducted to investigate the chemical elements, pharmacological effects, clinical application and drug safety of Cordycepson ischemic CCVDs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted on the Web of Science, PubMed, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang databases using the keywords "Cordyceps", "Cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury", and "Myocardial ischemic/reperfusion injury" or their synonyms. The retrieved literature was then categorized and summarized.

RESULTS

The study findings indicated that Cordyceps and its bioactive components, including adenosine, cordycepin, mannitol, polysaccharide, and protein, have the potential to protect against CI/RI and MI/RI by improving blood perfusion, mitigating damage from reactive oxygen species, suppressing inflammation, preventing cellular apoptosis, and promoting tissue regeneration. Individually, Cordyceps could reduce neuronal excitatory toxicity and blood-brain barrier damage caused by cerebral ischemia. It can also significantly improve cardiac energy metabolism disorders and inhibit calcium overload caused by myocardial ischemia. Additionally, Cordyceps exerts a significant preventive or curative influence on the factors responsible for heart/brain ischemia, including hypertension, thrombosis, atherosclerosis, and arrhythmia.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates Cordyceps' prospective efficacy and safety in the prevention or treatment of CI/RI and MI/RI, providing novel insights for managing ischemic CCVDs.

Influence of Nutritional Support Program on Gastrointestinal Function, Complication Rate, and Prognosis in Elderly Sufferers with CI

To explore the effect of nutritional support program on gastrointestinal function, complication rate, and prognosis in elderly patients with cerebral infarction (CI), 200 elderly patients with CI from January 2020 to January 2021 are investigated in this study. The patients were randomly divided into a study set and a control group, with 100 cases in each set. All sets were given routine treatment, the control set was given parenteral nutrition support on a routine basis, and the study set was given enteral nutrition support on a routine basis. First, the clinical efficacy of the two sets after treatment was compared. Next, the constipation symptom score was adopted to compare the intestinal function of the two sets of patients before and after one month of treatment. The nutritional indicators, including serum albumin (ALB) and serum total protein (TP) levels, were compared between the two sets of patients before and after one month of treatment. Furthermore, the complications of the two sets of patients and the prognosis of the two groups of patients are analyzed. For elderly CI patients, enteral nutrition support therapy can significantly improve the clinical treatment effect, the gastrointestinal function, and nutritional index level. Also, it can reduce the incidence of complications and enhance the prognosis, survival rate, and quality of life.

Efficacy and Safety of Electroacupuncture in the Treatment of Cerebral Infarction: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose

The goal of this study was to see if electroacupuncture was effective and safe in the management of cerebral infarction. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were used to conduct a comprehensive literature survey.

Methods

Basic features of 7 studies were identified using the searching strategy. The investigation was found in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science, with the most recent search being in March 2022. "Electroacupuncture," "cerebral infarction," and their permutations were among the MeSH terms and free words used. As literature, two reviewers independently used a standardized form to gather pertinent data from qualifying research.

Results

157 literatures were identified and evaluated. Electroacupuncture improved the BI score in individuals with cerebral infarction (mean difference = 0.10, 95 percent CI: 0.00-0.20, p = 0.04). Electroacupuncture enhanced BI score in individuals with cerebral infarction (mean difference = 0.10, 95 percent CI: 0.00-0.20, p = 0.04). The effects of electroacupuncture increased Fugl-Meyer index in patients with cerebral infarction (mean difference = 25.92, 95% CI: 25.28-26.56, p < 0.00001). Electroacupuncture effects decreased CSS in patients with cerebral infarction in the experiment group (mean difference = -2.10, 95% CI: -2.53--1.67, p < 0.0001). Electroacupuncture also reduced CSS individuals with cerebral infarction in the control group; however, there was no statistically significant (risk difference = 0.06, 95 percent CI: 0.02-0.13, p = 0.12).

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that electroacupuncture helped decreased CSS in patients with cerebral infarction.

Classification Algorithm-Based fMRI Images for Evaluating the Effect of Yishen Tiaodu Acupuncture on the Recovery Period of Cerebral Infarction

This study aimed to explore the application value of multifeature fusion classification algorithm based on deep learning and Yishen Tiaodu acupuncture in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cerebral infarction in convalescence. Methods. 62 patients with cerebral infarction were randomly classified into the experimental group and the control group, with 31 patients in each group. All patients received the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) examination. The image processing method was the multifeature fusion classification algorithm based on deep learning. DICE coefficient, accuracy, and sensitivity were used to evaluate the image processing performance of traditional and new algorithms. Patients in the experimental group were treated with Yishen Tiaodu acupuncture, while patients in the control group were treated with ordinary acupuncture. The evaluation of the cyberchondria severity scale (CSS) and the activities of daily living (ADL) was performed at enrollment, 15 days after treatment, 28 days after treatment, and 1 month after treatment. The results showed that the quality of fMRI images processed by multifeature fusion classification algorithm based on deep learning was signally improved. The clinical efficacy of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome score (86.7% vs. 60.9%) and neurological impairment score (83.4% vs. 53.5%) in the experimental group were remarkably higher compared with the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the TCM syndrome score of the experimental group was markedly lower than that of the control group, while the ADL score was higher (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The performance of multifeature fusion classification algorithm based on deep learning in fMRI image processing of patients with cerebral infarction is better than that of traditional algorithms. Yishen Tiaodu acupuncture has a good therapeutic effect on the recovery of motor and neurological function in patients with cerebral infarction at convalescence.

Effects of Transient Electrical Acupuncture Stimulation Combined With Rehabilitation Training on Hemorheology, Neurological Function and BDNF in Patients With Cerebral Infarction

Objective

To explore the effects of transient electric acupuncture stimulation combined with rehabilitation training on hemorheology, neurological function and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in patients with cerebral infarction (CI).

Methods

A total of 90 patients with CI were admitted to our hospital from March 2019 to March 2021. According to the random number table method, 90 patients were divided into a control group (was treated with transient electrical acupuncture stimulation intervention treatment) and a therapy group (was treated with rehabilitation training on the basis of the control group), with 45 cases in each group. NIHSS score to detect neurological deficit; FMA score to detect motor function recovery; the clinical efficacy of the two groups of patients were compared; blood rheology analyzer to detect whole blood high shear viscosity, whole blood low shear viscosity, platelet aggregation rate and fibrinogen indicators; ELISA detects the content of BDNF in serum.

Results

There was no significant difference in NIHSS score, FMA score, clinical efficacy, hemorheology index, and BDNF content between the two groups of patients before treatment (P > 0.05). After treatment, the NIHSS score, whole blood high shear visible, whole blood low shear visible, platelet aggregation rate and fibrinogen index of the two groups were lower than those before treatment, and the FMA score and BDNF content of the two groups were higher than those before treatment, and all the above indicators in the therapy group changed significantly compared with the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the clinical efficacy of the therapy group was better than that of the control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The combination of transient electrical acupuncture stimulation and rehabilitation training can inhibit the blood flow index of patients with CI, improve the nerve function, increase the content of BDNF in the patient's serum, and restore the patient's nerve function.