Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (34): 9081-9087.doi: 10.12307/2026.852

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Medication patterns for traditional Chinese medicine in children with cerebral palsy: an analysis based on medical records and literature

Zou Yuxiong1, 2, Liu Ying1, Liu Xiaomeng2, Gu Nan2, Zhu Yue2, Zhu Jintai2, Li Shuming2, Ao Meiying2, Liu Qian1, 2, He Yuan1   

  1. 1Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330000, Jiangxi Province, China; 2Discipline of Chinese and Western Integrative Medicine, Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Institute for Children Health & Drug Innovation, Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Hemangioma of Jiangxi Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, Jiangxi Province, China
  • Received:2025-10-15 Revised:2026-01-19 Online:2026-12-08 Published:2026-04-15
  • Contact: He Yuan, MS, Attending physician, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330000, Jiangxi Province, China Co-corresponding author: Ao Meiying, PhD, Professor, Discipline of Chinese and Western Integrative Medicine, Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Institute for Children Health & Drug Innovation, Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Hemangioma of Jiangxi Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, Jiangxi Province, China Co-corresponding author: Liu Qian, Doctoral supervisor, Professor, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330000, Jiangxi Province, China; Discipline of Chinese and Western Integrative Medicine, Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Institute for Children Health & Drug Innovation, Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Hemangioma of Jiangxi Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, Jiangxi Province, China
  • About author:Zou Yuxiong, MS, Physician, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330000, Jiangxi Province, China; Discipline of Chinese and Western Integrative Medicine, Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Institute for Children Health & Drug Innovation, Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment of Hemangioma of Jiangxi Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, Jiangxi Province, China
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82060658 (to AMY); Key Research and Development Program of National Key Laboratories, No. 20243BCC31008 (to LQ); Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine Scientific Research Cultivation Project, No. 2023ZDPY001 (to LQ); Innovative Research Team on Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Pediatric Diseases and Health Protection, No. CXTD22014 (to LQ); University-Level Teaching Reform Project of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, No. 2022jzyx-2 (to AMY)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital has over 20 years of experience in treating cerebral palsy in children with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). To date, no systematic analysis of TCM medication patterns has been conducted.
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the TCM syndrome types of children with cerebral palsy based on medical records and literature, and to explore TCM treatment approaches and medication patterns for children with cerebral palsy.
METHODS: Evidence-based search strategies were employed to retrieve and manage relevant literature and medical records of TCM treatment for children with cerebral palsy. Bibliometric techniques were utilized to mine and analyze various data features. VOSviewer software was utilized to generate visual knowledge maps. Association rule analysis of TCM was conducted using IBM SPSS Modeler software. Radar diagrams were applied to analyze the four natures and five flavors of Chinese materia medica.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) A total of 503 medical records and 90 articles were included in the study. (2) The analysis of TCM syndrome types revealed that the primary feature among children with cerebral palsy was a deficiency in the liver and kidney. (3) Analysis of intervention measures demonstrated that external treatments were the most frequently employed in medical records and the literature. In contrast, internal drug treatments, specifically those drugs that nourish the liver and kidneys, were most prevalent. (4) The analysis of medication rules indicated that among the top 20 medicines utilized in medical records and literature, the duplication rate for high-frequency medicines (n=12) was 60%. Additionally, the support degree levels for the two pairs of Dioscorea opposita Thunb. and Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf, and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata and Poria cocos(Schw.) Wolf exceeded 82.50%, suggesting a significant correlation between these two pairs of herbs. The majority of Chinese medicines prescribed for children with cerebral palsy exhibited warm properties, followed by flat and cold; they were primarily sweet, followed by bitter and spicy; the liver and kidney meridians were the most significant meridians, followed by spleen, heart, and lung meridians; and all of them were basically non-toxic. These findings indicate that children with cerebral palsy mainly exhibit liver and kidney deficiency. Most of the prescriptions used in TCM clinical practice and related clinical studies in TCM are aimed at tonifying the liver and kidneys. Among these, Liuwei Dihuang Pills and its derivatives are the most frequently prescribed. Notably, the combinations of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata with Faria cocos(Schw.) Wolf and Dioscorea opposita Thunb. with Faria cocos(Schw.) Wolf are the most commonly used and reliable pairs. The herbs primarily exhibit warm and sweet properties and target the liver and kidney meridians.


Key words: children with cerebral palsy, traditional Chinese medicine, medication pattern, retrospective study of medical records, literature study, Apriori rules, cluster analysis, four natures and five flavors

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