Effect of Acupuncture Combined With Computer-Assisted Cognitive Training on Language and Cognitive Functions in Poststroke Aphasia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND

Poststroke aphasia (PSA) significantly impairs language and cognitive functioning, yet few interventions comprehensively address both domains. This study evaluated the efficacy of an intervention combining acupuncture and computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation using the RehaCom cognitive training system (hereinafter, ACR) on language and nonverbal cognitive function in individuals with PSA.

METHOD: A single-center randomized controlled trial was conducted at a tertiary rehabilitation hospital in Fujian Province, China. Eighty patients with PSA were randomly assigned (1:1) to either the combined-intervention group (ACR plus standard speech and language therapy [SLT]) or the SLT group (SLT only). The intervention consisted of five 30-min sessions per week. Primary and secondary outcomes were assessed using the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R) and the Non-language-based Cognitive Assessment (NLCA) at baseline, Week 4, and Week 12 (post-intervention). Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate group differences over time.

RESULTS

Of the 80 enrolled participants, 71 (88.75%) completed the 12-week intervention. Compared with the SLT group, participants in the combined-intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in the WAB-R Aphasia Quotient at both 4 weeks (B = 5.961, 95% CI [3.765, 8.158], p < .001, Cohen's d = 0.135) and 12 weeks (B = 11.806, 95% CI [8.050, 15.563], p < .001, Cohen's d = 0.460). Significant gains were also observed in WAB-R subdomains, including Spontaneous Speech, Auditory Comprehension, Repetition, and Naming, with small-to-moderate effect sizes. Moreover, the combined-intervention group exhibited substantial improvements in nonverbal cognitive function, as measured by the NLCA, with moderate-to-large effect sizes at both post-intervention points (Cohen's d = 0.434 at 4 weeks; Cohen's d = 0.847 at 12 weeks).

CONCLUSIONS

The ACR intervention yielded significant and clinically meaningful improvements in both language and cognitive functions in patients with PSA. This multimodal approach represents a promising therapeutic strategy for comprehensive aphasia rehabilitation.