Table 1.
Main characteristics of included neuroimaging studies.
| Study | Country | Study design | N (A/B/C) | Diagnostic criteria | Age (Year) | Gender (M/F) | Treatment courses | (A) | (B) | (C) | Imaging modality | Scan T | Clinical outcomes | Analytical approaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intervention group | Control group I | Control group II | ||||||||||||
| Khan et al. (2022) | Korea | Non-RCT | 22 (11/11) | / | A:61.58 ± 6.55 | A: 10/17 | 12 weeks | Acupuncture | HC | / | fNIRS | / | MoCA, working memory adaption rate | Brain activation |
| B:55.92 ± 7.65 | B: 4/16 | |||||||||||||
| Cao et al. (2021) | China | Non-RCT | 16 | ① | 68.72 ± 4.03 | / | 16 min | Acupuncture | / | / | ts-fMRI | 3.0 T | / | Brain activation |
| Wang F. et al., 2020 | China | Non-RCT | 36 | ⑥ | 64.96 ± 3.22 | 16/20 | 28 days | Acupuncture | / | / | rs-fMRI | 3.0 T | MMSE, MoCA | Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation |
| Li et al. (2020) | China | RCT | 78 (12/13/50) | ③ | A:67.5 ± 9.7 | A: 8/4 | 6 months | Acupuncture + B | CM (12 mg/day dose of Rivastigmine) | HC | rs-fMRI | 3.0 T | MoCA, MMSE, AVLT, CDR | Functional connectivity, correlation with MoCA |
| B:65.0 ± 10.1 | B: 7/6 | |||||||||||||
| C:65.8 ± 7.2 | C: 24/26 | |||||||||||||
| Ghafoor et al. (2019) | Korea | Non-RCT | 24 (12/12) | / | A:61.58 ± 6.55 | / | 12 weeks | Acupuncture | HC | / | fNIRS | / | MoCA | Functional connectivity, and correlation with MoCA |
| B:55.92 ± 7.65 | ||||||||||||||
| Shan et al. (2018) | China | RCT | 14 (8/6) | ② | A:66.38 ± 10.97 | A: 3/5 | 3 min | Acupuncture | Sham acupuncture | / | ts-fMRI | 3.0 T | / | Brain activation |
| B: 67.83 ± 6.01 | B: 3/3 | |||||||||||||
| Xu and Peng (2017) | China | RCT | 60 (30/30) | ⑤ | A:62.12 ± 8.01 | A: 16/14 | 8 weeks | Acupuncture | CM (60 mg/day dose of Nimodipine) | / | rs-fMRI, DTI | 3.0 T | MMSE, MoCA, CDT | Regional homogeneity, fractional anisotropy |
| B:61.20 ± 7.63 | B: 16/14 | |||||||||||||
| Tan et al. (2017) | China | RCT | 32 (16/16) | ② | A:65.88 ± 4.66 | A: 10/6 | 4 weeks | Acupuncture | Sham acupuncture | / | rs-fMRI | 3.0 T | MMSE, MoCA, DST, ADAS-Cog | Functional connectivity |
| B:64.56 ± 5.25 | B: 6/10 | |||||||||||||
| Jia et al. (2015) | China | Non-RCT | 23 (8/15) | / | A:74.1 ± 7.8 | A: 2/6 | During fMRI scanning | Acupuncture | HC | / | rs-fMRI | 1.5 T | MMSE, ADAS-Cog | Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation |
| B:73.7 ± 7.3 | B: 8/7 | |||||||||||||
| Liu et al. (2014) | China | Non-RCT | 24 (12/12) | / | A:59.3 ± 3.3 | A: 1/11 | 3 min | Acupuncture | HC | / | rs-fMRI | 3.0 T | / | Regional homogeneity |
| B:60.6 ± 5.8 | B: 4/8 | |||||||||||||
| Chen et al. (2014) | China | Non-RCT | 24 (12/12) | ② | A:59.3 ± 3.3 | A: 1/11 | 3 min | Acupuncture | HC | / | ts-fMRI | 3.0 T | Brain activation | |
| B:60.6 ± 5.8 | B: 4/8 | |||||||||||||
| Xu, 2013 | China | RCT | 36 (12/12/12) | ②④ | A:59.3 ± 3.3 | A: 8/4 | 3 min | Acupuncture | Sham acupuncture | HC | ts-fMRI | 3.0 T | MoCA, CDR | Brain activation |
| B:62.8 ± 5.9 | B: 7/6 | |||||||||||||
| C:60.6 ± 5.8 | C: 24/26 | |||||||||||||
| Xu et al., 2013 | China | Non-RCT | 6 | / | 55–70 | 4/2 | 9 min | Acupuncture | / | / | rs-fMRI | 3.0 T | / | Functional connectivity |
| Chen et al. (2013) | China | Non-RCT | 24 (12/12) | / | A:59.3 ± 3.3 | A: 1/11 | 3 min | Acupuncture | HC | / | rs-fMRI | 3.0 T | / | Functional connectivity |
| B:60.6 ± 5.8 | B: 4/8 | |||||||||||||
| Jiang et al. (2012) | China | RCT | 24 (12/12) | ②④ | A:63.83 ± 4.90 | A: 6/6 | 3 min | Acupuncture | Sham acupuncture | / | ts-fMRI | 3.0 T | / | Brain activation |
| B:67.08 ± 5.26 | B: 6/6 | |||||||||||||
| Wang et al. (2012) | China | Non-RCT | 22 (8/14) | ② | A:66.37 ± 10.96 | A: 3/5 | 3 min | Acupuncture | HC | / | ts-fMRI | 3.0 T | MMSE, AVLT, CDR | Brain activation |
| B:66.07 ± 5.78 | B: 6/8 | |||||||||||||
| Feng et al. (2012) | China | Non-RCT | 24 (12/12) | / | A:59.3 ± 3.3 | A: 1/11 | 3 min | Acupuncture | HC | / | rs-fMRI | 3.0 T | / | Functional connectivity |
| B:60.6 ± 5.8 | B: 4/8 | |||||||||||||
| Jiang (2011) | China | Non-RCT | 24 (12/12) | ② | A:66.83 ± 4.90 | A: 6/6 | 3 min | Acupuncture | HC | / | ts-fMRI | 3.0 T | / | Brain activation |
| B:62 ± 4.46 | B: 5/7 | |||||||||||||
| Cui (2011) | China | RCT | 36 (12/12/12) | ②④ | A:59.3 ± 3.3 | A: 3/9 | 3 min | Acupuncture | Sham acupuncture | HC | ts-fMRI | 3.0 T | MMSE, CDR | Brain activation |
| B:62.8 ± 5.9 | B: 4/8 | |||||||||||||
| C:60.6 ± 5.8 | C: 4/8 | |||||||||||||
| Liu (2010) | China | RCT | 36 (17/19) | ① | A:66.00 ± 6.84 | A: 7/10 | 30 days | Acupuncture | CM (2.5 mg/day dose of Donepezil) | / | MRS | 1.5 T | MMSE, MoCA | Metabolic Ration |
| B:69.32 ± 6.86 | B: 9/10 | |||||||||||||
| Jin (2010) | China | RCT | 30 (14/16) | ② | A:72.54 ± 7.07 | A: 8/6 | 45 days | Acupuncture | CM (90 mg/day dose of Nimodipine) | / | MRS | 1.5 T | MoCA, CMS | Metabolic Ration |
| B:73.67 ± 3.27 | B: 9/7 | |||||||||||||
| Liu (2009) | China | RCT | 32 (15/17) | ① | A:73 ± 7.67 | A: 9/6 | 30 days | Acupuncture | CM (2.5 mg/day dose of Donepezil) | / | MRS | 1.5 T | MMSE, CMS | Metabolic Ration |
| B:77.22 ± 5.65 | B: 9/8 |
①: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; ②: Petersen RC criteria; ③: National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer’s Association criteria; ④: Expert consensus on prevention and treatment of Cognitive Impairment in China; ⑤: National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria; ⑥: Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of dementia and cognitive impairment in China; RCT, randomized controlled trial; HC, healthy control; CM, conventional medicine; fNIRS, functional near-infrared spectroscopy; ts-fMRI, task-state functional magnetic resonance imaging; rs-fMRI, task-state functional magnetic resonance imaging; DTI, diffusion tensor imaging; MRS, magnetic resonance spectroscopy; MMSE, the Mini-Mental State Examination; MoCA, Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale; CDR, Clinical Dementia Rating; AVLT, Auditory Verbal Learning Test; ADAS-cog, Alzheimer’s disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale; CMS, Clinical Memory Scale; CDT, Clock Drawing Test; DST, Double Support Time.