Clinical effectiveness of a combination of oxiracetam and traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation program in the treatment of early stroke patients with hemiplegia

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of a combination of oxiracetam and traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation program on early stroke patients with hemiplegia. Methods: 120 patients with early stroke hemiplegia admitted to Wuhu Fifth People's Hospital from March 2019 to July 2020 were recruited. They were equally and randomly assigned to either a control group or a study group, using the random number table method. The control group received oxiracetam, while the study group received oxiracetam plus a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) rehabilitation program. Outcome measures included treatment effectiveness, motor function, neurological function, TCM symptom scores, and patient satisfaction. Results: There was significantly higher treatment effectiveness in the study group versus the control group (p < 0.05). The Fugl-Meyer score of the control group was lower than that of the study group (52.49 ± 4.73 vs 74.73 ± 5.92; p < 0.001). After treatment, patients in the study group showed lower neurological function and TCM scores than those in the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the study group showed higher satisfaction than the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The combination of oxiracetam and TCM rehabilitation program produce good treatment effectiveness in early stroke hemiplegia patients, and also boosts motor and neurological functions when compared to the use of oxiracetam alone. However, the combination treatment should be subjected to further clinical trials prior to application in clinical practice. Keywords: Chinese medicine rehabilitation program; Early stroke hemiplegia; Oxiracetam; Motor function; Nerve function