Clinical Effect of Huperzine A Microemulsion Cataplasm to Alzheimer Patients by Governor Vessel Acu-points

OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical effect of huperzine A microemulsion cataplasm (Hup-A MEC) to Alzheimer patients by governor vessel (GV) acu-points. METHODS Seventy patients with Alzheimer disease were randomly divided into 5 treatment groups, positive group and blank group. The patients in each group were stopped taking all drugs improving brain function druring treatment period and 2 weeks before. After 2 weeks Hup-A MEC were sticked to 4 GV acu-points and chest, blank cataplasm was sticked to chest. They were received respectively for 2 months, changed every 3 days. Positive control group received Hup-A by oral administration in 2 months, taking 2 times a day. Removing the cataplasm, stopping taking Hup-A tablet 2 months after treatment , MMSE and ADL of each patients were evaluated, and SOD activity was determined with the improved method of xanthine oxidase. The clinical effects of each groups were compared in 2 months after the treatment. RESULTS After the experiments, MMSE and ADL data at GV “yamen”, “dazhui”, “zhiyang” and “mingmen” acu-points were superior to data in control group and positive group, and SOD activity at 4 GV acu-points was significantly higher than control group and positive group. CONCLUSION The effect of memory improvement to Alzheimer patients when Hup-A MEC sticked to skins at the GV acu-points is superior to that sticked to chest and positive group(P<0.01).This is consistent with the traditional Chinese medicine theory of “GV is communicated to the brain”.