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Advanced Neurology ASD treatment through acupuncture

and social skills. She could express herself independently, Recent studies have demonstrated that TCM, particularly
demonstrate good logical thinking and comprehension, through acupuncture, offers significant advantages in
follow instructions, and exhibit improved memory. In treating ASD. Acupuncture, a distinctive therapy within
addition, she was able to correctly pick up 20 beads using TCM, has shown promising results in improving various
chopsticks, engage in simple role-playing activities, express aspects of the disorder, such as cognitive function, social
emotions, initiate communication, and seek help when interaction, and emotional regulation. This therapeutic
needed. Her emotional state was calm, with no signs of approach leverages the body’s natural healing processes,
aggression or destructive behavior, and she reported no aiming to restore balance and promote overall well-being.
abdominal pain. Bowel movements were regular, and her The efficacy of acupuncture in treating ASD highlights
sleeping pattern had improved slightly. On examination, TCM’s potential to contribute valuable insights and
her tongue appeared pale red with a slight white coating, effective interventions to the broader spectrum of ASD
and her pulse was slightly deep and string-like. management. 11
The results of various assessments showed improvements In recent years, substantial research has emerged
over time, with scores indicating a decrease in symptoms on the efficacy of acupuncture as an adjunct therapy for
related to ADHD and ASD. The child’s overall intellectual ASD. The recent systematic reviews 14,15 assessed studies on
functioning also showed improvement, as reflected in acupuncture for ASD and found that while the evidence
her performance on the C-WISC. Subsequent follow-ups base is still developing, there is a growing consensus on its
revealed that the child’s guardians reported a full recovery, potential benefits. The review highlighted that acupuncture,
with no noticeable differences from typically developing particularly when combined with behavioral therapies,
children of the same age, and she had returned to school with may enhance social communication skills and reduce
successful classroom integration after more than 3 months. stereotypical behaviors. Studies included in the review
often reported improvements in language development
3. Discussion and adaptive functioning among children with ASD,
ASD was first described by Dr. Leo Kanner in 1943, although methodological limitations such as small sample
a seminal moment that laid the foundation for our sizes and the absence of standardized treatment protocols
understanding of the condition. However, it was not were noted. The review concluded that acupuncture
until the publication of the third edition of the DSM-III holds promise as a complementary therapy for ASD but
in 1980 that ASD was officially recognized as a distinct emphasized the need for well-designed, large-scale, and
diagnostic entity, separating it from other developmental randomized controlled trials to better understand its
disorders and defining its core characteristics. This efficacy and establish optimal treatment protocols.
formal recognition marked a significant shift in how Another significant contribution to the understanding of
ASD was perceived and treated within the medical acupuncture’s role in neurodevelopmental disorders comes
community. TCM, with its rich history and unique from a recent study by Zhuo et al ., which investigated the
16
diagnostic framework, approaches ASD through different effects of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation
conceptual lenses. In TCM, ASD is often categorized under (TEAS) in children with ADHD. This randomized clinical
terms such as “Wu Chi” (language delay), “Dai Bing” trial found that TEAS significantly improved general
(stupidity), and “Wu Hui” (lack of wisdom), reflecting a symptoms and increased prefrontal cortex blood flow
perspective that views the disorder as a manifestation of compared to a sham treatment. Although the study focused
deeper, underlying deficiencies rather than a standalone on ADHD, the findings suggest potential benefits for similar
condition. 10-12 According to TCM theory, the onset of ASD therapies in children with ASD. 17,18 The improvements in
is believed to occur during critical developmental stages, cognitive function and neural activity observed with TEAS
including the fetal, neonatal, and infantile periods. The imply that acupuncture-related therapies could be adapted
etiology and pathogenesis of ASD in TCM are attributed for ASD, targeting specific neural pathways to enhance
to a combination of congenital deficiencies and postnatal cognitive function, social interaction, and behavioral
neglect, which result in inadequate nourishment of the regulation. These promising results highlight the need
brain marrow and insufficient essence. This conceptual for further research to explore the long-term efficacy
framework posits that ASD is primarily a disorder affecting and mechanisms of acupuncture-based interventions in
the brain’s development and function, with a complex
interplay involving the heart, spleen, liver, and kidneys. larger samples of children with ASD, potentially offering a
16,19
TCM’s approach to ASD emphasizes a holistic view, valuable complement to existing treatments.
focusing on restoring balance and enhancing the body’s Scalp acupuncture, also known as cranial acupuncture,
vital energy to address the disorder’s multifaceted nature. originates from TCM and is based on the theories of

Volume 3 Issue 4 (2024) 6 doi: 10.36922/an.3783