Effects of Ocular Circulation by Acupuncture Stimulation on Guangming (GB37) / 日本温泉気候物理医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted on 82 nonsmoking healthy young volunteers divided into two groups. The GB37 group consisted of 39 people who were subjected to stimulation of the Guangming (GB37), and the control group consisted of 43 people who were not so stimulated. Blood-flow velocity and pulsatility index (PI) in the central retinal artery (CRA) of the right eye were measured using Color Doppler imaging. Blood pressure and heart rate were also measured at the same time. The type of stimulus was acupuncture applied on the right GB37 with the needle retained for 15min. Seven measurements were made at intervals of 7.5min during a 45-minute period while the subject was in the sitting position. The GB37 group was first measured just before stimulation and observed for 30 min after the needle was removed. There were significant differences in blood-flow velocity and PI between the two groups. In the GB37 group, blood-flow velocity in the CRA increased remarkably and PI decreased remarkably. These values scarcely changed in the control group. There were no significant differences in blood pressure or heart rate between the two groups. These results suggest that acupuncture stimulus on GB37 changes the circulation of CRA by a mechanism other than blood pressure, resulting in an increase in retinal blood-flow volume.