Effects of electro-acupuncture at Tongli (HT 5) and Xuanzhong (GB 39) acupoints from functional magnetic resonance imaging evidence
Item
Title
Effects of electro-acupuncture at Tongli (HT 5) and Xuanzhong (GB 39) acupoints from functional magnetic resonance imaging evidence
Journal Publication
Date
2016
volume
22(11)
pages
846-854
Research Type
RCT
Keywords
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore the specifificity of Tongli (HT 5) and Xuanzhong (GB 39) paired acupionts in aspects of Deqi sensation and brain activation patterns during electroacupuncture. METHODS: In this study, 15 healthy subjects were enrolled. All participants suffered two kinds of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) examinations randomly: Examination A received electro-acupuncture (EA) at the bilateral Tongli (HT5) and Xuanzhong (GB 39) acupoints (ACU), and examination B received EA at bilateral non-acupoints (NAP). The subjects reported the feeling of Deqi at each examination later respectively. A multi-voxel pattern analysis method and Statistical Program for Social Sciences were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The ACU group (Exam A) reported fullness, heaviness, numbness, soreness and throbbing of signifificantly greater intensity than the NAP group (Exam B). In addition, there was no statistical signifificance between two groups in aching, tingling, deep pressure, sharp pain, dull pain, warmness and cold. Meanwhile, fMRI data revealed differences between two groups in discriminating accuracy of brain somatosensory cortex and language-related cortices. CONCLUSIONS: Needling HT 5 and GB 39 may modulate language function through a complex brain network, suggesting that it may be benefificial to the recovery of language function in patients with aphasia.
doi
10.1007/s11655-015-1971-2
pmid
PMID:26129898
View on Pubmed
Language
English
Number of Participants
15