Mechanisms of Acupuncture Effect on Alzheimer’s Disease in Animal- Based Researches

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia in the aging population worldwide. The etiology and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease are still not very clear. Finding a new treatment is urgent due to the increasing population aging. Acupuncture has been practicing in China for more than 3000 years and reported to be beneficial in treating cognitive impairment of Alzheimer’s disease. This paper reviews the recent development on the effect of acupuncture on Alzheimer’s disease in animal-based researches. It is suggested that acupuncture improves cognitive function of Alzheimer’s disease by regulating glucose metabolism, enhancing neurotransmission as well as reducing oxidative stress, Aβ protein deposition, and neuronal apoptosis. However, it is still difficult to clarify which specific signaling pathway contributes to the acupuncture effect. Better designed studies are recommended to investigate the effects of acupuncture on Alzheimer’s disease.