Monitoring Acupuncture Effects on Human Brain by fMRI

Summary

FMRI and physiological monitoring is used to study the effects of Acupuncture on the central and peripheral nervous systems. Acupuncture mobilizes a limbic-paralimbic-neocortical network, with great overlap with the default mode network, to modulate neurological activity, possibly related to its autonomic effect in the peripheral nervous system.

Abstract

Functional MRI is used to study the effects of acupuncture on the BOLD response and the functional connectivity of the human brain. Results demonstrate that acupuncture mobilizes a limbic-paralimbic-neocortical network and its anti-correlated sensorimotor/paralimbic network at multiple levels of the brain and that the hemodynamic response is influenced by the psychophysical response. Physiological monitoring may be performed to explore the peripheral response of the autonomic nerve function. This video describes the studies performed at LI4 (hegu), ST36 (zusanli) and LV3 (taichong), classical acupoints that are commonly used for modulatory and pain-reducing actions. Some issues that require attention in the applications of fMRI to acupuncture investigation are noted.

Protocol

Part 1: Informed consent and subject preparation

Healthy adult volunteers are recruited for the study according to Institutional Review Board approved procedures. Informed consent by the subject is signed before beginning the study.

Part 2: Setting up physiological monitoring equipment

The AD Instruments PowerLab system allows for physiological data to be synchronized with the fMRI scan by using the fMRI trigger signal recorded on an input channel. This is a laptop based system with inputs for ECG, respiration, skin conductance response, pulse oximetry, and any other physiological signal t....

Discussion

The employment of proper techniques, the experience of the acupuncturist and a large sample size to permit separation from confounding effects of inadvertent noxious stimulation are important in the acquisition and interpretation of acupuncture fMRI data. Our studies of several classical acupoints indicate that acupuncture modulates the limbic network, an important intrinsic regulatory system of the human brain. The network shows significant overlap with the default mode of the resting brain. These associated autonomic n.......