AUTHOR=Wang Yu-Fang , Chen Wei-Yi , Lee Chang-Ti , Shen Yi-Ying , Lan Chou-Chin , Liu Guan-Ting , Kuo Chan-Yen , Chen Mao-Liang , Hsieh Po-Chun 

TITLE=Combinations of scalp acupuncture location for the treatment of post-stroke hemiparesis: A systematic review and Apriori algorithm-based association rule analysis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2022.956854

DOI=10.3389/fnins.2022.956854

ISSN=1662-453X

ABSTRACT=Background: Post-stroke hemiparesis strongly affects stroke patients' activities of daily living and health-related quality of life. Scalp acupuncture (SA) is reportedly beneficial for post-stroke hemiparesis. However, there is still no standard of SA for the treatment of post-stroke hemiparesis. Apriori-algorithm-based association rule analysis is a kind of "if-then" rule-based machine learning method suitable for investigating the underlying rules of acupuncture point/location selections. This study aimed to investigate the core SA combinations for the treatment of post-stroke hemiparesis by using a systematic review and Apriori algorithm-based association rule analysis.
Methods: We conducted a systematic review to include relevant RCT studies investigating the effects of SA treatment in treating patients with post-stroke hemiparesis, assessed by the Fugl-Meyer Assessment score. We excluded studies using herbal medicine or manual acupuncture.
Results: We extracted 33 SA locations from the 35 included RCT studies. The following SA styles were noted: International Standard Scalp Acupuncture (ISSA), WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations (SAPL), Zhu's style SA, Jiao's style SA, and Lin's style SA. Sixty-one association rules were investigated based on integrated SA location data.
Conclusions: SAPL_GV20 (Baihui), SAPL_GV24 (Shenting), ISSA_MS6_i (ISSA Anterior Oblique Line of Vertex-Temporal, lesion-ipsilateral), ISSA_MS7_i (ISSA Anterior Oblique Line of Vertex-Temporal, lesion-ipsilateral), ISSA_PR (ISSA Parietal region, comprised of ISSA_MS5, ISSA_MS6, ISSA_MS7, ISSA_MS8, and ISSA_MS9), and SAPL_Ex.HN3 (Yintang) can be considered the core SA location combination for the treatment of post-stroke hemiparesis. We recommend a core SA combination for further animal studies, clinical trials, and treatment strategies.