Effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on postoperative cognitive function in older patients with lung cancer: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Fei Guo,
Ruili Han,
Li Sun,
Lanlan Zheng,
Yanzheng Wang,
Yuting Yan,
Chen Liu,
Yuan Qin,
Chen Yuan,
Shuang Wang,
Xude Sun,
Changjun Gao
Affiliations
Fei Guo
Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
Ruili Han
Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
Li Sun
Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
Lanlan Zheng
Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
Yanzheng Wang
Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
Yuting Yan
Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
Chen Liu
Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
Yuan Qin
Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
Chen Yuan
Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
Shuang Wang
Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
Xude Sun
Corresponding author. Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, People's Republic of China.; Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
Changjun Gao
Corresponding author. Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710038, People's Republic of China.; Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
Objective: This trial was to examine the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on postoperative cognitive function in older patients who underwent thoracoscopic pulmonary resection. Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. 128 patients scheduled for surgery were randomly assigned to the TEAS group and sham-TEAS group. A standardized intervention of TEAS or sham-TEAS on the acupoints of Baihui (DU20) and bilateral Neiguan (PC6), Hegu (LI4), and Zusanli (ST36) from 30 min before anesthesia induction until the end of the surgery, combined with a general anesthetic protocol performed in the two groups respectively. The primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) assessed via the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale at each time point. The secondary outcomes included the results of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score, the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) on pain and sleep, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life (EORTC-QLQ-C30), and a chronic pain questionnaire at relative time points. Results: Participants who completed the 12-month trial of the two groups were well-matched in baseline demographic and clinical parameters. At postoperative day 1, day 7, and day 30 time points, the incidence of POCD in the sham-TEAS group was always significantly higher than in the TEAS group (65.4% vs 20%, 43.6% vs 7.3%, 40% vs 3.6%, all P < 0.001). Also, the TEAS group showed better scores of MMSE, sleep, and pain compared with the sham-TEAS group (all P < 0.001). At 6 and 12 months points, the global health scores of the TEAS group were still significantly higher than the sham-TEAS group, and the prevalence of chronic pain was significantly lower than the sham-TEAS group (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: TEAS could effectively improve the postoperative cognitive function and long-term life quality of geriatric patients with lung cancer.
