Efficacy of enhanced extracorporeal counterpulsation combined with atorvastatin in the treatment of cognitive impairment after stroke

BACKGROUND Cerebral apoplexy patients are prone to cognitive impairment, and it is very important to choose appropriate treatment methods to improve their cognitive impairment after stroke. AIM To evaluate the effects of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) in conjunction with atorvastatin on cognitive function, neurotransmitter levels, and the repair of brain tissue damage in patients with cognitive impairment due to stroke. METHODS In this retrospective study, data from 60 patients with poststroke cognitive impairment due to stroke who were treated in our hospital from February 2021 to July 2022 were analyzed and divided into a treatment group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30) according to the different nursing methods applied. Patients in the treatment group received EECP in addition to atorvastatin, while those in the control group received atorvastatin alone. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and activities of daily living (ADL) scale scores were compared between the two groups. Additionally, the two groups were compared in terms of serum acetylcholine (ACh), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1), β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and visinin-like protein 1 (VILIP-1) in the serum. Blood flow measurements from the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), middle cerebral artery (MCA) and posterior cerebral artery (PCA) were compared between the two groups before and after treatment, and the pulsatility index (PI) and resistance index (RI) of each artery were determined. RESULTS MMSE, MoCA, and ADL scores all improved in both groups following treatment, with the study group showing more improvement than the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, there were statistically significant increases in both ACh and NO levels, whereas decreases occurred in AChE, ET-1, β2-MG, VILIP-1, and GFAP, levels and the PI and RI of the left-ACA, right-ACA, left-MCA, right-MCA, left-PCA, and right-PCA. The study group showed greater gains in all metrics than the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION EECP combined with atorvastatin is effective in the treatment of cognitive impairment after stroke and can effectively improve the cognitive function, neurotransmitter levels, and brain tissue damage status of patients.