The effect of acupuncture-rehabilitation therapy on brain functional plasticity in motor aphasia after ischemic stroke: a randomized clinical neuroimaging trial
In brief
Acupuncture added to rehab improved speech scores more after stroke
In a 26-patient randomized trial, both groups improved after four weeks of language rehabilitation, but patients who also received acupuncture had greater gains in overall aphasia scores and spontaneous speech. Brain scans showed changes in activity and connectivity, but the small, short study cannot establish how durable the added benefit is or explain its mechanism.
- Journal
- Brain imaging and behavior (Q1)
- Published
- 30 October 2026
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial
- Evidence level
- Level 1, High (CEBM 1b)
- Authors
- Tian-Tian Liu, Meng Ren, Jiening Wang, Yuehua Wang, Chao-Jie Wang, Qiang Tang, et al.
- PMID
- 42961600
- DOI
- 10.1007/s11682-026-01155-5
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Rehabilitation (top studies of the week, 8 November 2026): Randomized trial of post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation
Abstract
Motor aphasia is the most prevalent type of aphasia following ischemic stroke (IS). This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and underlying neural mechanisms of acupuncture-rehabilitation (A-R) therapy on motor aphasia after IS. Twenty-six patients with post-IS motor aphasia were randomly assigned to either the A-R group or the Conventional Rehabilitation (CR) group in a 1:1 ratio, and matched by age and gender with 26 healthy controls (HCs). The CR group received standard treatment and language training, while the A-R group additionally underwent scalp acupoint cluster acupuncture. Behavioral assessments and Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (BOLD-fMRI) scans were conducted before and after the four-week intervention to evaluate therapeutic outcomes and underlying mechanisms. Compared to HCs, patients exhibited decreased Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuations (ALFF) in the right precuneus (p < 0.05) and reduced Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) in the left precuneus/postcentral gyrus (p < 0.05). Enhanced functional connectivity (FC) was observed in regions including the left Broca's area and right superior temporal gyrus, left Broca's area and right inferior frontal orbitalis gyrus, left Broca's area and right precentral gyrus, left Broca's area and right postcentral gyrus (p < 0.05). After intervention, significant improvements were observed in Aphasia Quotient (AQ) scores and sub-item performance in both patient groups (p < 0.05), with the A-R group showing greater gains in AQ and spontaneous speech scores compared to the CR group (p < 0.05). FMRI results indicated a significant increase in mean ALFF (mALFF) in the left inferior temporal gyrus after A-R treatment (p < 0.05) compared to before, and higher szReHo in the left anterior central gyrus compared to the CR group (p < 0.05). FC between the left Broca's area and right precentral gyrus decreased in the A-R group (p < 0.05). Additionally, a negative correlation was observed between the right anterior central gyrus and listening comprehension (r = -0.574, p = 0.020). The findings suggest that both A-R and CR therapies enhance language function in patients with motor aphasia post-IS, with A-R therapy demonstrating superior efficacy. The therapeutic mechanism of A-R likely involves activating left hemisphere brain regions, suppressing right hemisphere activity, and restoring hemispheric balance to facilitate functional recovery.
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.