OBJECTIVE:To determine the clinical efficacy and safety of electro-scalp acupuncture in the treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke.METHODS:Totally 74 patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled and divided into either body acupuncture (Control) or electro-scalp acupuncture (ESA) groups according to randomized controlled principle.The patients in the control group were given body acupuncture treatment once daily for 28 d,whereas except for the body acupuncture,electro-scalp acupuncture was additional treatment given to the ESA group.Neurological deficits,everyday motor function and muscle strength were evaluated at baseline and the 28th d by NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS),Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) and Modified Barthel Index Score (MBI),respectively.RESULTS:There were not obvious between-group differences in the baseline efficacy parameters (NIHSS,FMA and MBI) (all P ＞ 0.05),whereas significant between-group differences were found in post-treatment NIHSS,FMA-UE and MBI scores (all P ＜ 0.05).After acupuncture treatment,systematic within-group improvements were found in the two groups for any of the efficacy parameters assessed (all P ＜ 0.01),and the ESA group showed higher significant improvements in NIHSS,FMA-UE and MBI scores (all P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION:Electro-scalp acupuncture was efficacious in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke,which resulted in meaningful improvements in neurologic function,motor function and activities of daily living of patients.