Study of Acupuncture Zhongzhu(SJ3) and Waiguan(SJ5) by Functional MRI(fMRI) / 中国中医药信息杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the distribution of the activated cerebral regions after acupuncture stimulation of Zhongzhu(SJ3) and Waiguan(SJ5) by functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) technique.Methods A total of 8 cases of volunteer healthy subjects were recruited for this study.Before and during manipulation of the needle,cerebral images were sampled separately by fMRI scanner and analyzed by AFNI software.Results During manipulation of the needle inserted in the unilateral Zhongzhu(SJ3) and Wauguan(SJ5),the highly-activated cerebral structures were cingulated gyrus,temporal gyrus,cerebellum,occipital gyrus,etc.Conclusion The effect of acupuncture analgesia was probably produces by the interaction of multiple brain structures of functional connectivity rather than through the activation of a single brain region.