Research Progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapies for the Treatment of Vascular Dementia

血管性痴呆(vascular dementia, VD)是一种认知、学习能力减退为特征的综合征，严重影响患者的生活质量。目前西医认为VD发生机制与氧化应激、炎症反应、细胞凋亡等密切相关，西医治疗主要依赖于昂贵的西药，但弊端也显而易见，如其存在药物副作用，并且疗效也存在个体差异。中医认为痴呆的发生与肾精空虚、脑髓失充，痰浊痹阻、瘀血阻止，火毒内生密切相关。临床中应用中医药治疗VD得到良好治疗效果，且可以做到个体化治疗。本文将从VD发病机制及中药、针刺、艾灸等中医治法治疗VD的机制及疗效等方面探讨，为今后临床治疗VD开拓思路。Vascular dementia (VD) is a syndrome characterized by a decline in cognitive and learning abilities, which significantly impacts the quality of life of patients. Currently, Western medicine attributes the pathogenesis of VD to factors such as oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and apoptosis. Treatment in Western medicine primarily relies on expensive medications, but their drawbacks are evident, including side effects and individual variations in efficacy. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believes that the occurrence of dementia is closely related to deficiencies in kidney essence and brain marrow, obstruction by phlegm and blood stasis, and the endogenous generation of fire and toxins. In clinical practice, the application of TCM for VD has yielded favorable therapeutic effects and allows for individualized treatment. This article will explore the pathogenesis of VD and the mechanisms and efficacy of TCM therapies such as Chinese herbs, acupuncture, and moxibustion in treating VD, with the aim of providing new insights for future clinical treatment of VD.