Mechanism of unblocking and regulating yangming by acupuncture for vascular dementia based on intestinal flora
Vascular dementia(VD),secondary to cerebrovascular disease,has become one of the main types of senile dementia.With the help of the gut-brain axis,intestinal flora can achieve bidirectional regulation with the brain through neurological immune,endocrine and metabolic and other ways,thus exerting an important influence on central neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia.Yangming of TCM shares many commonalities(including the large intestine and stomach as well as their corresponding meridians)with intestinal flora and VD in both physiological and pathological aspects.Hence,from the point of yangming,the treatment of VD by regulating intestinal flora has become a new breakthrough point.Based on intestinal flora,the intrinsic mechanism of unblocking and regulating yangming by acupuncture in VD treatment has been explained in order to provide new perspectives and methods for the clinical prevention and treatment of VD.