Objective: To investigate the efficacy of electroacupuncture at the Neiguan (PC6) acupoint in patients with disorders of consciousness. Methods: A total of 90 patients with post-brain injury disorders of consciousness admitted to the Department of Critical Care Rehabilitation, Neurological Rehabilitation, and Neurology at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University from June 2024 to December 2024 were selected. These patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group, a median nerve electrical stimulation (MNES) group, and an electroacupuncture group. The control group received conventional treatment, the MNES group received conventional treatment plus MNES, and the electroacupuncture group received conventional treatment plus electroacupuncture at the Neiguan acupoint. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores, electroencephalogram (EEG) improvement, somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) N20 latency, and brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) wave I, III, and V latencies were compared among the three groups before and after treatment. Results: After 4 weeks of treatment, the GCS scores were as follows: (6.91 ± 1.43) for the control group, (8.15 ± 1.65) for the MNES group, and (10.04 ± 1.78) for the electroacupuncture group. The electroacupuncture group demonstrated significantly higher GCS scores compared to the control and MNES groups (P < 0.05). The proportion of EEG grades I and II in the electroacupuncture group (70%) was significantly higher than in the control group (33.33%) and the MNES group (50%) (P < 0.05). Additionally, after 4 weeks of treatment, the SEP N20 latency in the electroacupuncture group was significantly lower than that in the control and MNES groups (P < 0.05). Similarly, the BAEP wave I, III, and V latencies in the electroacupuncture group were significantly lower than those in the control and MNES groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Electroacupuncture at the Neiguan acupoint can improve GCS scores, increase the proportion of EEG grades I and II, reduce N20, wave I, III, and V latencies, and promote arousal in patients with post-brain injury disorders of consciousness.
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