The Effect of Tongqiao Huoxue Tang on Cognitive Function and Serum Inflammatory Factor Levels in Patients with Vascular Dementia of Phlegm Stasis Obstruction Type
Objective: To observe the improvement effect of Tongqiao Huoxue Tang on cognitive function in patients with vascular dementia (VaD) of phlegm stasis obstruction type, and to explore its possible mechanism of action from the changes in serum inflammatory factor levels. Method: A randomized controlled trial was conducted to divide 90 patients with phlegm stasis obstruction type VaD into a control group and an observation group. The control group received routine Western medicine treatment, while the observation group received oral administration of Tongqiao Huoxue Tang in addition to the control group, for a continuous treatment period of 8 weeks. This study compared MoCA, MMSE, TCM-DSS, mRS, and BI scores before and after treatment, measured serum IL-6 and CRP levels, and recorded the occurrence of adverse reactions. Results: The cognitive function scores (MMSE, MoCA) and Barthel Index (BI) of the observation group increased after treatment compared to before treatment, and the scores of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Differentiation Scale (TCM-DSS), Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and blood IL-6 and CRP were all lower than before treatment, with statistical significance (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. Conclusion: Based on conventional Western medicine treatment, the combination therapy of Tongqiao Huoxue Tang for patients with phlegm stasis obstruction type VaD can assist in improving patients’ postoperative cognition and independent living ability through targeted treatment of traditional Chinese medicine pathogenesis and syndrome, or be related to the regulation and inhibition of central inflammatory response by the combination of prescription and bioactive ingredients contained in decoction pieces.
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