Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Apr;44(2):408-416.
doi: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20240203.002.

Complementary and alternative medicine on cognitive defects and neuroinflammation after sepsis

L I Zhenxuan  1   2   3   4 , Wang Xuerui  1   2   3   4 , Luis Ulloa  5 , Ayman Youssef  5 , Bai Yunjing  1   2   3   4 , X U Xiaolong  1   2   3   4 , Liu Qingquan  1   2   3   4
Affiliations

Complementary and alternative medicine on cognitive defects and neuroinflammation after sepsis

L I Zhenxuan et al. J Tradit Chin Med. 2024 Apr.

Abstract

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a common manifestation of sepsis, ranging from mild confusion and delirium to severe cognitive impairment and deep coma. SAE is associated with higher mortality and long-term outcomes, particularly substantial declines in cognitive function. The mechanisms of SAE probably include neuroinflammation that is mediated by systemic inflammation and ischemic lesions in the brain, a disrupted blood-brain barrier, oxidative stress, neurotransmitter dysfunction, and severe microglial activation. Increasing evidence suggests that complementary and alternative medicine, especially Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is favorable in alleviating cognitive decline after sepsis. Here, we summarized the studies of traditional herbal remedies, TCM formulas and acupuncture therapy in animal models of neurological dysfunctions after sepsis in recent decades and reviewed their potential mechanisms.

Keywords: cognitive dysfunction; complementary therapies; medicine, Chinese traditional; neuroinflammatory diseases; review; sepsis-associated encephalopathy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Rudd KE, Johnson SC, Agesa KM, et al. . . Global, regional, and national sepsis incidence and mortality, 1990-2017: analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study. Lancet 2020; 395: 200-11. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Singer M, Deutschman CS, Seymour CW, et al. . . The third international consensus definitions for sepsis and septic shock (Sepsis-3). JAMA 2016; 315: 801-10. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Polito A, Eischwald F, Maho AL, et al. . . Pattern of brain injury in the acute setting of human septic shock. Crit Care 2013; 17: R204. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hughes CG, Patel MB, Pandharipande PP. . Pathophysiology of acute brain dysfunction: what's the cause of all this confusion? Curr Opin Crit Care 2012; 18: 518-26. - PubMed
    1. Akrout N, Sharshar T, Annane D. . Mechanisms of brain signaling during sepsis. Curr Neuropharmacol 2009; 7: 296-301. - PMC - PubMed