The brain imaging studies of obstructive sleep apnea: evidence from resting-state EEG and fMRI / 生理学报

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common clinic sleep disorder, and characterized by obstruction of upper airway during sleep, resulting in sleep fragmentation and intermittent hypoxemia. We reviewed the brain imaging studies in OSA patients compared with healthy subjects, including studies of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG). The resting-state EEG studies showed increased power of δ and θ in the front and central regions of the cerebral cortex in OSA patients. While resting-state fMRI studies demonstrated altered large-scale networks in default-mode network (DMN), central executive network (CEN) and salience network (SN). Evidence from resting-state studies of both fMRI and EEG focused on the abnormal activity in prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is correlated with OSA severity. These findings suggested that the PFC may play a key role in the abnormal function of OSA patients. Finally, based on the perspectives of treatment effect, multimodal data acquisition, and comorbidities, we discussed the future research direction of the neuroimaging study of OSA.

Cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery treated with thermosensitive moxibustion with different dosages: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the difference in the clinical efficacy on cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type (CSA) treated with thermosensitive moxibustion at different dosages.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty cases of CSA were randomized into a saturated moxa dosage group and a regular moxa dosage group, 30 cases in each one. The thermosensitive moxibustion was adopted in the two groups. The mild suspended moxibustion was applied at two acupoints with the strongest thermosensitization. In the saturated moxa dosage group, the moxibustion time was determined by the disappearance of thermosensitization. In the regular moxa dosage group, 15 min was required on each acupoint. The treatment was given twice a day for first 4 days in the two groups. Since the 5th day, the treatment was given once a day, continuously for 10 times, and totally 14 days were required. The score of symptoms and function and clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups before and after treatment as well as 6-month follow-up after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The curative and effective rate was 56.7% (17/30) after treatment and 60.0% (18/30) in 6-month follow-up after treatment in the saturated moxa dosage group, which were superior to 26.7% (8/30) and 30.0% (9/30) in the regular moxa dosage group respectively (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The scores of clinical symptoms and function after treatment and in follow-up were improved apparently as compared with those before treatment in both groups (all P < 0.01). The scores of clinical symptoms and function after treatment and in follow-up in the saturated moxa dosage group were increased much more apparently than those in the regular moxa dosage group (after treatment: 22.32 +/- 4.64 vs 17.43 +/- 3.21; in follow-up: 23.01 +/- 4.76 vs 18.32 +/- 2.13, both P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The thermosensitization moxibustion of saturated dosage achieves the superior short-term and long-term efficacies in the treatment of CSA as compared with the regular moxibustion dosage.</p>