Study on response of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging induced by abdominal acupuncture with invigorating the kidney and nourishing marrow method / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To approach the central nervous mechanism of abdominal acupuncture by using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twelve old healthy volunteers were treated by standardized abdominal acupuncture with invigorating the kidney and nourishing marrow method and Zhongwan (CV 12), Xiawan (CV 10), Qihai (CV 6), Guanyuan (CV 4), Qixue (KI 13), Shangqu (KI 17) and Huaroumen (ST 24) were selected. They were examined by using resting-state fMRI before and after treatment of abdominal acupuncture and the brain functional connectivities were analyzed based on bilateral hippocampus chosen as seed points.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) Before acupuncture, functional connectivities were found in the bilateral middle frontal gyrus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, bilateral middle temporal gyrus, bilateral thalamus, bilateral subiculum hippocampi, bilateral insula, the cupula and declivis of right cerebellum, left superior frontal gyrus, left head of caudate nucleus, left posterior cingulate gyrus and left inferior parietal lobule (all P < 0.05). (2) After acupuncture, functional connectivities were found in the bilateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, bilateral middle temporal gyrus, bilateral thalamus, bilateral insula, bilateral subiculum hippocampi, bilateral inferior parietal lobule, bilateral postcentral gyrus, bilateral cingulate gyrus, right head of caudate nucleus, right middle occipital gyrus and right posterior cingulate gyrus (all P < 0.05). (3) After acupuncture, there were intensity functional connectivities greater than before acupuncture in the bilateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral middle frontal gyrus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, bilateral superior parietal lobule, right inferior frontal gyrus, right anterior cingulate gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, right precuneus and right postcentral gyrus, while the intensity of functional connectivities of left middle temporal gyrus, right lingual gyrus, left cuneus/precuneus and left inferior parietal lobule were attenuated.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Abdominal acupuncture with invigorating the kidney and nourishing marrow method can improve the allomeric function of the brain cognition network of central nervous system.</p>

Study on the effects of acupuncture at acupoint and non-acupoint on functional connectivity of different brain regions with functional magnetic resonance imaging / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the basis of distinctive function of acupoint through observing the effects of acupuncture at the areas of acupoint and non-acupoint on functional connectivity of different brain regions.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-one healthy volunteers were randomly divided into two groups: 12 cases in the acupoint group and 9 cases in the non-acupoints group. Bilateral Zusanli (ST 36) and its lateral 3-4 mm were punctured with twirling manipulation in the acupoint group and the non-acupoints group respectively. Before and after 25 minutes treatment, data of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning was taken from bilateral cingulate gyrus (seed point) to analyze the functional connectivity in both groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Brain functional connectivity was demonstrated widely in both acupoint group and non-acupoint group after acupuncture. Comparing with the non-acupoint group, in the acupoint group, brain functional connectivity with posterior cingulate gyrus was found more intensively in the bilateral tonsil, right dentate nucleus, bilateral uvula, left declive and right tuber of cerebellum, as well as in the left inferior frontal gyrus, right middle temporal gyurs, bilateral paracentral lobule, left cingulate cortex, right superior temporal gyrus, right anterior cingulate gyrus etc., however, its connectivity was less in the bilateral medial frontal gyrus and right inferior frontal gyrus.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Both acupoint and non-acupoint can evoke brain functional connectivity that is similar on the most of regions, but the intensity of this connectivity in the acupoint group is higher than that in the non-acupoint group.</p>