Work

Acupuncture for primary autoimmune cerebellar ataxia: A CARE-compliant case report with two-year follow-up

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACTRATIONALE: Primary autoimmune cerebellar ataxia (PACA) is an immune-mediated ataxia often lacking disease-specific antibodies, making timely therapy challenging. We explored whether integrative acupuncture might aid recovery alongside immunomodulation. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 28-year-old woman presented with right lower limb weakness, gait stiffness and unsteadiness, dysarthria, and intention tremor. DIAGNOSES: The patient was diagnosed with PACA and had a history of immunosuppressive therapy. INTERVENTIONS: In addition to ongoing immunomodulatory treatment, the patient received a standardized acupuncture regimen delivered during hospitalization and continued as maintenance in the outpatient setting. OUTCOMES: Speech fluency and motor coordination improved markedly. At discharge, the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia decreased from 20 to 14, and the modified Rankin Scale improved from 3 to 2. Clinical symptoms remained stable at the 2-year follow-up, without reported adverse events. LESSONS: Integrative acupuncture may be a feasible adjunct in PACA, particularly for enhancing motor coordination and functional status; controlled studies are warranted to confirm efficacy and define indications.

Source: Medicine

DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000045895

Authors: Zhijie Xu, Fan Xu, Guiping Li, Linna Wu, Haolong Guo, Shu Wang

Institutions: First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Language: English

Topic: Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies

Subfield: Complementary and alternative medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,950