Study on the mechanism of acupuncture at Daling (PC 7) for mental diseases by fMRI / 中国针灸

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To probe into the central nervous mechanism of acupuncture at Daling (PC 7) treating mental diseases by fMRI.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eight healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. Acupuncture stimulation was given at Daling (PC 7) in each subject with a stimulating pattern, "rest-stimulation-rest-stimulation-rest". The fMRI data were analyzed with SPM 2 software package.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The activating areas of acupuncture at Daling (PC 7) were mainly on Brodmann 46/47/44/9 areas of inferior frontal gyrus, Brodmann 6 area of middle frontal gyrus, Brodmann 22 area of superior temporal gyrus and Brodmann 40 area of postcentral gyrus and inferior parietal lobule.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Pathogenetic factors of mental diseases are very complicated, damange or hypofunction or inadequate activation of frontal lobe and temporal lobe are closely related with mental diseases. Therefore, activating the frontal and temporal lobe possibly is one of the mechanisms of acupuncture at Daling (PC 7) treating mental diseases.</p>