Objective: To compare the effects of acupuncture of Baihui(GV 20)

Shuigou(GV 26) and Shenmen(HT 7) on the cognitive ability in vascular dementia(VD) patients.Methods: Fifty cases of VD patients were randomly and evenly divided into body-acupoint

GV-20

GV-26

HT-7 and GV-20+GV-26+HT-7 groups.Body-acupoints were Jianyu(LI 15)

Quchi(LI 11)

Zusanli(ST 36)

etc and were used in all the patients of the 5 groups.The acupuncture treatment was given once daily(except weekend days)

4 weeks altogether.The therapeutic effects were assessed by using "Scale for Evaluating the Cognition Function"(SECF) before and after the treatment. Results: After the treatment

the total scores of SECF in GV-20

GV-26

HT-7 and GV-20+GV-26+HT-7 groups were significantly higher than those of their respective pre-treatment(P<0.05).Adding Baihui(GV 20) could significantly raise the patients' scores of orientation

short and long-term memory

animal naming

calculating and classification(P<0.05

0.01);adding Shuigou(GV 26) could raise the scores of orientation

calculating and classification(P<0.05);adding Shenmen(HT 7) could raise the scores of digital range

animal naming and classification(P<0.05).And adding GV-20

GV-26 and HT-7 could raise the scores of orientation

digital range

short-term memory

animal naming

calculation

classification and painting abilities(P<0.05

0.01).The effects of GV-20+GV-26+HT-7 group were significantly better than those of body-acupoint group in improving the total score

orientation

digital range

animal naming

calculation and painting(P<0.01);than that of GV-20 group in calculation(P<0.05);than those of GV-26 in digital range

animal naming

calculation and painting(P<0.05

0.01);and than that of HT-7 group in calculation(P<0.01).Conclusion: Acupuncture of the added Baihui(GV 20)

Shuigou(GV 26) and Shenmen(HT 7) works better in improving VD patients' cognitive ability.