Syndrome differentiation and treatment

Asthenia of the liver and kidney

Apathy, slow reaction, amnesia, insomnia, even asophia, incoherent speech and loss of self viability, red tongue with a little fur and thready pulse. It is advisable to nourish and tonify the liver and kidney, replenish medulla and tonify the brain. The prescription used is the modified Qifu Decoction, or the modified Dabuyin Bolus (Bolus for Replenishing Vital Essence) in combination with Shenrong Dihuang Pill.

Asthenia of the spleen and kidney

Rigid expression, slow movement, even hypologia and motionlessness, foolish cry and laugh, concurrent palpitation, short breath as well as soreness and cold of the waist and knees, pale tongue with whitish and thin fur, deep and thready pulse. It is advisable to tonify the kidney and strengthen the spleen, promote the production of medulla and tonify the brain. The prescription used is the modified Huanshao Pill (Rejuvenation Pill).

Obstruction of phlegm intermingled with qi stagnation

Keeping silent all day long, sudden alternate laughing and anxiety, sudden alternate singing and cry, improper clothing, inability to distinguish good things from bad ones, loss of self viability in critical cases, concurrent chest tightness, heavy sensation of the body, somnolence, whitish and greasy fur, taut and slippery pulse. It is advisable to regulate qi, strengthen the spleen, resolve phlegm and induce resuscitation. The prescription used is the modified Xiaoyao Pill (Ease Pill) in combination with Xixin Decoction.

Blood stasis due to qi stagnation
Apathy, susceptibility to fright and fear, wild talk, purple tongue or with petechiae and ecchymoses, thready and taut or unsmooth pulse. It is advisable to promote blood circulation and qi flow, induce resuscitation to benefit intelligence. The prescription used is the modified Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction (Resuscitation-Inducing and Blood-Activating Decoction).
Rehabilitation methods

Regulating emotions

Select the method of checking one emotion with another, suggestion therapy or behavior therapy according to the specific conditions of the patients. Encourage and console the patients with depression as well as impetuosity and irascibility respectively and lingually to stabilize their emotions. By means of psychological guidance, encourage the patients to read newspapers, retell the content, tell stories and recite short articles. This can increase their abilities to discern, remember and judge things.

Recreation therapy

The musical therapy has good therapeutic effects. In the case of depression as the main symptom, select the musical prescriptions of "expressing emotions to remove depression" and the tunes of "inspiring enthusiasm and arousing feeling"; in the case of impetuosity and irascibility, select musical prescriptions of "tranquilizing the mind" and tunes of "inhibiting impetuosity and checking anger". But, mainly select the prescriptions and tunes of improving intelligence. It is also advisable to select the songs which the patients were familiar with and liked when they were young. This can help the rehabilitation of the patients with senile dementia. Besides, watch plays, practice calligraphy and painting, play a musical instrument and play chess regularly. All these events may delay decline of intelligence, train the fine movements of hands simultaneously and promote the rehabilitation of the disease.

Physical training

Applying the setting-up ball is a better method. It is advisable to play the ball from simple movements to complicated and difficult ones. Train the left and right hands alternately with the ball and do not ignore the training of the left hand so as to guarantee the balanced development of the functions of the two cerebral hemispheres. In addition, it is suitable to practice the simplified Taijiquan, eight-section brocade, five mimic-animal games, etc.