Revealing characteristics and rules of acupoint sensitization phenomena: based on knee osteoarthritis / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the characteristics and rules of acupoint sensitization phenomena based on knee osteoarthritis (KOA), one of the clinical dominant diseases of acupuncture-moxibustion.@*METHODS@#In combination with literature and expert experiences, the acupoints with the highest use frequency in treatment of KOA were screened, e.g. Heding (EX-LE 2), Liangqiu (ST 34), Mingmen (GV 4), Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Ququan (LR 8) and Dubi (ST 35). In 814 patients with KOA and 217 healthy subjects, the acupoint temperature, mechanic pain threshold and pressure pain threshold were detected separately. Using machine learning method, the sensitization was judged at each acupoint.@*RESULTS@#Compared with healthy subjects, the acupoint temperature was increased and the mechanic pain threshold and pressure pain threshold were reduced in KOA patients (P<0.05). Besides, the cut-off value was presented to distinguish whether the acupoint was sensitized or not. The results of machine learning showed that the highest prediction accuracy of acupoint sensitization was 86.7% (Shenshu [BL 23]) and the lowest one was 73.9% (Heding [EX LE 2]). The prediction accuracy at the third clinical stage trial was higher, the highest was 93.3% (Ququan [LR 8]) in KOA patients.@*CONCLUSION@#It is confirmed that the acupoint sensitization reflects the characteristics of disease and is correlative with the conditions of illness, which may provide the reference for the auxiliary diagnosis and condition assessment of KOA.

Design and implementation of a method for temperature parameter collection inside acupoint / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To realize real-time measurement and recording of temperature parameters inside acupoints during acupuncture treatment.@*METHODS@#The fine wire thermocouple was embedded in hollow needle body as acupoint detection probe. According to the structure of acupoint temperature signal processing circuit, the Agilent 34420A nanovolt/micro-eurometer was used to design the technology method of acupoint temperature data acquisition, and an acupoint temperature collection platform was established. In addition, a verification experiment was conducted to verify the feasibility and stability of the system.@*RESULTS@#The contrast experiment with mercury thermometer measurement showed that the temperature measurement curve of the designed acupoint temperature data collection platform was highly consistent with that of the standard thermometer, which verified the stability and reliability of the designed temperature measurement platform. The experiment of animal in-vivo measurement showed that the acupoint temperature probe had good feasibility for in-vivo acupoint temperature measurement.@*CONCLUSION@#Acupoint temperature probe and acupoint temperature data collection technology can measure the temperature inside acupoints, and ensured the accuracy and veracity of the results. As an experimental method of acupoints temperature parameter collection, it can quantitatively record the temperature changes during the acupuncture treatment.