Research progress on the mechanism of acupuncture treatment for vascular dementia

Acupuncture can intervene with and treat vascular dementia (VD) through multiple targets and pathways. The mechanisms of its action involve inhibiting central inflammatory responses, regulating neuronal synaptic plasticity, modulating oxidative stress, reducing neuronal apoptosis, and adjusting cellular autophagy. This paper summarizes researches on the mechanisms of acupuncture treatment for VD over the past decade, aiming to provide theoretical support for the clinical application of acupuncture in treating VD and offer a reference for future in-depth research in this field.