To observe the effect of warm acupuncture at Du meridian on promoting rehabilitation of patients with cognitive impairment after cerebral infarction and explore the effective methods to promote rehabilitation of the patients.

A total of 62 patients with cognitive impairment after cerebral infarction were included admitted from April 2022 to June 2024 and were divided into two groups by random number table method, namely the conventional treatment group and the warm acupuncture at Du meridian group, with 31 cases in each group. The patients in the conventional treatment group received routine drug treatment and rehabilitation training. Those in the warm acupuncture at Du meridian group were combined with warm acupuncture at Du meridian on the basis of the conventional treatment group, and the data of the patients in the two groups was observed: the clinical efficacy and the adverse reactions, the changes in TCM symptom scores before and after treatment such as severe headache, mental dullness, speech disarrangement, slurred speech, restlessness and a dull expression and the levels of hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), malondialdehyde (MDA) and homocysteine (Hcy), the changes in Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA) and Brief Mental State Examination Scale (MMSE) scores, the changes in cerebral hemodynamic indicators such as peripheral vascular resistance, mean blood velocity and mean blood flow, Functional Independence Rating Scale (FIM) and National Institutes of Health stroke volume Table (NIHSS) score changes.

The total effective rate of the warm acupuncture at Du meridian group was higher than that of the conventional treatment group (P<0.05). The adverse reaction rate of the patients in conventional treatment group and warm acupuncture at Du meridian group was lower (P>0.05). Before treatment, the patients in each group had decreased scores of severe headache, mental dullness, speech disarrangement, slurred speech, restlessness and a dull expression and other TCM syndromes, serological indexes (hs-CRP and IL-6, MDA and Hcy), MoCA and MMSE scores, cerebral hemodynamic indexes (peripheral vascular resistance, average blood flow velocity and average blood flow), FIM and NIHSS scores were not significant (P>0.05). After treatment, these indexes were all improved, and all indexes in the warm acupuncture at Du meridian group were better than those in the conventional treatment group (P<0.05).

Warm acupuncture can promote the rehabilitation of the patients with cognitive impairment after cerebral infarction, and the therapeutic effect is good. It is helpful to improve the symptoms of the patients, and the treatment is safe and reliable.