Neural oscillations during acupuncture imagery partially parallel that of real needling.

Introduction: Tasks involving mental practice, relying on the cognitive rehearsal of physical motors or other activities, have been reported to have similar patterns of brain activity to overt execution. In this study, we introduced a novel imagination task called, acupuncture imagery and aimed to investigate the neural oscillations during acupuncture imagery. Methods: Healthy volunteers were guided to watch a video of real needling in the left and right KI3 (Taixi point). The subjects were then asked to perform tasks to keep their thoughts in three 1-min states alternately: resting state, needling imagery left KI3, and needling imagery right KI3. Another group experienced real needling in the right KI3. A 31-channel-electroencephalography was synchronously recorded for each subject. Microstate analyses were performed to depict the brain dynamics during these tasks. Results: Compared to the resting state, both acupuncture needling imagination and real needling in KI3 could introduce significant changes in neural dynamic oscillations. Moreover, the parameters involving microstate A of needling imagery in the right KI3 showed similar changes as real needling in the right KI3. Discussion: These results confirm that needling imagination and real needling have similar brain activation patterns. Needling imagery may change brain network activity and play a role in neural regulation. Further studies are needed to explore the effects of acupuncture imagery and the potential application of acupuncture imagery in disease recovery.

Comparison of Liver Biomarkers in 288 COVID-19 Patients: A Mono-Centric Study in the Early Phase of Pandemic.

Background and Aims: Recent reports have indicated that hepatic dysfunction occurred in a proportion of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to compare and describe the liver biomarkers in different subtypes of COVID-19 patients. Methods: This study enrolled 288 COVID-19 patients in Huangshi Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. All patients were divided into ordinary, severe, and critical groups according to the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (Trial Version 7). Demographic, clinical characteristics and liver biomarkers were compared among the three groups. Results: During hospitalization, AST, TBiL, and ALP levels in ordinary and severe patients fluctuated within the normal range with a rising trend in critical patients except AST. ALT and GGT levels fluctuated within the normal range showing an upward trend, while LDH levels in the critical group exceeded the normal range. Prealbumin showed an upward trend, especially in the severe group. At discharge, AST and LDH levels in ordinary and severe groups were lower than their baselines but increased in the critical group. In contrast to albumin, TBiL levels were increased in ordinary and critical groups while decreased in the severe group. The stratified analysis revealed factors affecting liver function in critical cases included highest temperature ≥38.0°C, age ≥60 and symptom of hypoxemia. Conclusions: COVID-19 can cause severe hepatic dysfunction in critical patients, requiring early monitoring and intervention. LDH, ALP, GGT, TBiL, prealbumin, and albumin may be helpful for evaluating and predicting disease prognosis due to their correlation with disease severity in COVID-19.

Sialic Acid and Iron Content in Breastmilk of Chinese Lactating Women.

OBJECTIVE: To study sialic acid and iron content in breastmilk in Chinese women during different lactation stages. METHODS: Sialic acid and iron content of colostrum, transitional milk, mature milk, and involutional milk were determined using a neuraminidase assay kit and the ferrozine method, respectively in 88 lactating women (58 Term, 30 Preterm). RESULTS: The mean (SD) sialic acid levels of colostrum, transitional milk, mature milk, and involutional milk were 2201.4 (676.6) mg/L, 1445.9 (423.4) mg/L, 395.3 (96.0) mg/L and 273.0 (76.9) mg/L, respectively. The median iron content were 0.05 mg/L, 0.06 mg/L, 0.25 mg/L and 0.35 mg/L, respectively, in successive stages of lactation. Sialic acid and iron were significantly higher in breast milk of preterm mothers compared to term mothers. CONCLUSION: Sialic acid and iron content in breast milk vary greatly throughout the lactation stages, which probably reflects the infants' needs for growth and development at different stages.