Acupuncture can significantly improve learning and memory capacity that has been impaired by hyperglycemia and cerebral ischemia, according to a new study.
The study that was published in the October 2008 issue of the
journal, Neuroscience Letters, reported on whether
electroacupuncture (acupuncture needles stimulated with a mild electrical
current) could improve learning and memory which was typically impaired in
diabetic rats with cerebral ischemia.
The effects of the acupuncture treatments were measured with a passive avoidance test, an active avoidance test, the Morris water maze and electrophysiology. Significant improvements were seen with all the tests.
The researchers remarked that previous investigations have demonstrated that electroacupuncture can improve primary and secondary symptoms such as peripheral neuropathy and diabetic encephalopathy in diabetic rats. They believe that the positive results of this study warrant further investigation.
Source: Neuroscience Letters Volume 443, Issue 3,
doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2003.10.071
