Effect and safety of acupuncture on cerebrovascular reserve in patients with acute cerebral infarction: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: As far as we know, no evidence has been established to assess the effects of acupuncture for acute cerebral infarction patients. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on cerebrovascular reserve in patients with acute cerebral infarction. METHODS: On June 20, 2021, the authors will perform a preliminary search in the PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases using the following keywords: “acupuncture,” “acute cerebral infarction.” We will also examine the Clinical Trials Registry for other ongoing and unpublished studies. The inclusion criteria included (1) patients with acute cerebral infarction, (2) patients who received acupuncture, and (3) studies assessed cerebrovascular reserve, breath-holding index, Barthel index, and adverse events. All English language randomized controlled trials published within the last 20 years were eligible for inclusion. Primary outcome measures in our study are cerebrovascular reserve, and secondary outcome measures include the breath-holding index, Barthel index, and adverse events. All outcomes are pooled on a random-effect model. RESULTS: The results of this research will be delivered in a peer-reviewed journal. OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER: 10.17605/OSF.IO/7M4BK.