Effect of transcutaneous electroacupuncture on gastric accommodation and electrogastrogram in patients with functional dyspepsia / 实用医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the effect of transcutaneous electroacupuncture(TEA)on gastric accom-modation and electrogastrogram in patients with functional dyspepsia(FD)and investigate the transcutaneous elec-troacupuncture efficacy and mechanism. Methods 106 cases of FD patients were randomLy divided into TEA group(n=53)and sham-TEA group(n=53)according to the designed random table. 10 health volunteers were recruited for participation in the study for normal control group. All patients fulfilled the Rome Ⅲ criteria of FD. Informed consent was obtained from each participant. All subjects were tested in terms of gastric accom-modation (GA),namely,maximum satiety. For the patients of TEA group,the acupoints of Zusanli(ST36)and Neiguan (PC6)were stimulated. In the sham-TEA group,the sham-acupoint for PC6 was located at about 15-20 cm away from PC6 not on any meridian and the sham-point for ST36 was located at 10-15cm down from and to the lateral side of ST36 not on any meridian.The stimulation parameters used for sham-TEA were the same as the TEA group. Four weeks after treatment with double blind crossover method,we compared the two groups in view of gastric receptivity,electrogastrogram(EGG)andclinicalsymptomscores before and after treatment respectively. Results (1)The GA was 725 ± 46 mL in the normal control group and 539 ± 36 mL in the FD patients.(2)The mean total symptom score was 24.5 ± 2.9 at baseline and significantly decreased to 11.9 ± 2.1(P < 0.001)after TEA. There were significant differences in the symptom scores between the TEA group and sham-TEA group(P<0.001).(3) The percentage of normal slow waves(N%)during fasting and postprandial state in the TEA group were respectively 70.9 ± 2.4% and 68.2 ± 3.1%. The differences were statistically significant between the TEA group,baseline and sham-TEA group(P<0.001).(4)In the TEA group,the postprandial dominant power(46.23 ± 4.03)db and the fasting dominant power(35.35 ± 1.53)db were significantly increased compared to baseline before treatment and sham-TEA group(P < 0.001). Conclusions(1)Gastric accommodation in patients with FD was decreased, showing a higher visceral sensitivity. TEA can improve the GA in FD patients,reducing visceral sensitivity.(2)TEA can increase the percentage of normal slow wave in the FD patients,increase the postprandial dominant power and regulate the abnormal gastric myoelectric activity to promote the gastric motility.