Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2015, Vol. 10 ›› Issue (2): 292-297.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.152385

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Brain activation and inhibition after acupuncture at Taichong and Taixi: resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging

Shao-qun Zhang 1, Yan-jie Wang 1, Ji-ping Zhang 1, Jun-qi Chen 1, Chun-xiao Wu 1, Zhi-peng Li 2, Jia-rong Chen 2, Huai-liang Ouyang 1, Yong Huang 1, Chun-zhi Tang 3
   

  1. 1 School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
    2 First Clinical School, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
    3 School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
  • Received:2014-10-22 Online:2015-02-17 Published:2015-02-17
  • Contact: Yong Huang, M.D. or Chun-zhi Tang, M.D., nfhy@smu.edu.cn or jordan664@163.com.
  • Supported by:

    This study was supported by a grant from the National Key Basic Research and Development Project (973 Program), No. 2012CB518504; a grant from the National Level Undergraduate Student Innovation Venture Training Project of Local Colleges, No. 201212121048; and a grant from the Three-Stage Key Subject Construction Project of Guangdong Province of China (211 Project), No. (2009)431

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Abstract:

Acupuncture can induce changes in the brain. However, the majority of studies to date have focused on a single acupoint at a time. In the present study, we observed activity changes in the brains of healthy volunteers before and after acupuncture at Taichong (LR3) and Taixi (KI3) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Fifteen healthy volunteers underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain 15 minutes before acupuncture, then received acupuncture at Taichong and Taixi using the nail-pressing needle insertion method, after which the needle was retained in place for 30 minutes. Fifteen minutes after withdrawal of the needle, the volunteers underwent a further session of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed that the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation, a measure of spontaneous neuronal activity, increased mainly in the cerebral occipital lobe and middle occipital gyrus (Brodmann area 18/19), inferior occipital gyrus (Brodmann area 18) and cuneus (Brodmann area 18), but decreased mainly in the gyrus rectus of the frontal lobe (Brodmann area 11), inferior frontal gyrus (Brodmann area 44) and the center of the posterior lobe of the cerebellum. The present findings indicate that acupuncture at Taichong and Taixi specifically promote blood flow and activation in the brain areas related to vision, emotion and cognition, and inhibit brain areas related to emotion, attention, phonological and semantic processing, and memory.

Key words: nerve regeneration, acupuncture, neuroimaging, resting-state functional magnetic    , resonance imaging, Taichong (LR3), Taixi (KI3), amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation, Brodmann area 11, Brodmann area 18, Brodmann area 19, Brodmann area 44, posterior lobe of the cerebellum, neural regeneration