Table 1. Baseline Characteristics of the Intention-to-Treat Population.
| Characteristic | Participants, No. (%) (N = 231) | |
|---|---|---|
| Manual acupuncture (n = 115) | Sham acupuncture (n = 116) | |
| Age, mean (SD), y | 61.3 (7.1) | 59.6 (7.7) |
| Sex | ||
| Male | 87 (75.7) | 96 (82.8) |
| Female | 28 (24.3) | 20 (17.2) |
| Body mass index, mean (SD)a | 24.60 (2.30) | 24.79 (2.50) |
| Educational level | ||
| Less than primary school | 1 (1.0) | 0 |
| Primary school | 19 (15.0) | 23 (19.8) |
| Junior high school | 37 (38.0) | 41 (35.3) |
| Senior high school | 34 (27.0) | 28 (24.1) |
| Bachelor degree or more | 24 (19.0) | 24 (20.7) |
| Western Aphasia Battery, mean (SD), scoreb | ||
| Aphasia quotientc | 40.07 (13.51) | 43.28 (14.75) |
| Spontaneous speech | 5.86 (3.28) | 6.25 (3.38) |
| Auditory verbal comprehension | 128.00 (36.70) | 135.24 (36.45) |
| Repetition | 40.54 (22.35) | 42.90 (22.00) |
| Namingd | 37.34 (21.18) | 43.05 (21.87) |
| Chinese Functional Communication Profile score, mean (SD), scoree | 94.91 (44.88) | 101.04 (45.39) |
| Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination gradef | ||
| 0 | 11 (9.6) | 10 (8.6) |
| 1 | 52 (45.2) | 44 (37.9) |
| 2 | 35 (30.4) | 43 (37.1) |
| 3 | 17 (14.8) | 19 (16.4) |
| 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | 0 | 0 |
| National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, mean (SD)g | 9.06 (3.07) | 8.79 (3.38) |
| Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale, mean (SD), scoreh | 115.24 (25.88) | 116.70 (29.85) |
| Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale–39, mean (SD)i | ||
| Composite score | 81.43 (22.99) | 84.60 (26.42) |
| Mean score | 2.10 (0.60) | 2.17 (0.68) |
| Physical score | 1.86 (0.90) | 1.93 (0.96) |
| Communication score | 2.00 (0.57 | 2.10 (0.62) |
| Psychological score | 2.41 (0.56) | 2.52 (0.61) |
| Health Scale of Traditional Chinese Medicine, mean (SD), scorej | 78.62 (22.14) | 76.35 (19.37) |
Body mass index is calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.
Higher scores indicate better performance.
Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better language function.
Statistically significant differences between the groups were detected at baseline (P = .045).
Scores range from 0 to 250, with higher scores indicating better communication abilities.
Grades range from 0 to 5, with higher grades indicating less serious language deficits.
Scores range from 0 to 42, with higher scores indicating more serious neurological impairment.
Scores range from 49 to 245, with higher scores indicating better quality of life.
Scores range from 0 to 195, with higher scores indicating better quality of life.
Scores range from 0 to 130, with higher scores indicating worse health conditions.