Effectiveness of Scalp Acupuncture Combined With Speech Therapy on Language Function in Individuals With Poststroke Motor Aphasia

Objective: To examine the rehabilitative effects of a combined scalp acupuncture and speech therapy (ST) protocol on language function and quality of life in individuals with motor aphasia following stroke (MAAS). Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted involving 68 individuals with MAAS who satisfied the inclusion criteria. Participants were randomly assigned to either the observation group (n=34; scalp acupuncture+ST) or the control group (n=34; sham acupuncture+ST) through a computer-generated random number table. Both groups received daily interventions, 6 times per week, over a 4-week period. Therapeutic outcomes were evaluated using the Aphasia Battery of Chinese (ABC) to assess spontaneous speech, repetition, naming, comprehension, and other language functions. In addition, the Chinese Functional Communication Profile (CFCP) was used to assess actual communicative ability. Results: Post-treatment assessments indicated significant improvements in language function and communication ability in both groups ( P <0.01). Between-group comparisons revealed that participants in the observation group demonstrated significantly higher scores on both the ABC and CFCP scales compared with those in the control group ( P <0.01). The total effective rate in the observation group reached 97.1%, which was significantly greater than the 85.3% observed in the control group ( P <0.05). Conclusion: The combination of scalp acupuncture and ST was associated with significant enhancements in language function among individuals with MAAS. This intervention demonstrated superior outcomes relative to sham acupuncture combined with ST. No adverse reactions were reported, indicating that this combined therapeutic approach may offer clinical utility in poststroke aphasia rehabilitation.