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Effects of electro-acupuncture at Tongli (HT 5) and Xuanzhong (GB 39) acupoints from functional magnetic resonance imaging evidence

  • Acupuncture Research
  • Published:
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Abstract

Objective

To explore the specifificity of Tongli (HT 5) and Xuanzhong (GB 39) paired acupionts in aspects of Deqi sensation and brain activation patterns during electroacupuncture.

Methods

In this study, 15 healthy subjects were enrolled. All participants suffered two kinds of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) examinations randomly: Examination A received electro-acupuncture (EA) at the bilateral Tongli (HT5) and Xuanzhong (GB 39) acupoints (ACU), and examination B received EA at bilateral non-acupoints (NAP). The subjects reported the feeling of Deqi at each examination later respectively. A multi-voxel pattern analysis method and Statistical Program for Social Sciences were used to analyze the data.

Results

The ACU group (Exam A) reported fullness, heaviness, numbness, soreness and throbbing of signifificantly greater intensity than the NAP group (Exam B). In addition, there was no statistical signifificance between two groups in aching, tingling, deep pressure, sharp pain, dull pain, warmness and cold. Meanwhile, fMRI data revealed differences between two groups in discriminating accuracy of brain somatosensory cortex and language-related cortices.

Conclusions

Needling HT 5 and GB 39 may modulate language function through a complex brain network, suggesting that it may be benefificial to the recovery of language function in patients with aphasia.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100700, China

    Juan Xiao  (肖 娟), Hua Zhang  (张 华), Jing-ling Chang  (常静玲), Li Zhou  (周 莉), Hai-zhen Zhong  (钟海珍), Dan Zhu  (朱 丹) & Ying Gao  (高 颖)

  2. Key Laboratory of Encephalopathy Treatment of Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100700, China

    Jing-ling Chang  (常静玲) & Ying Gao  (高 颖)

  3. Department of Radiology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100700, China

    Zhong-jian Tan  (谭中建)

Authors
  1. Juan Xiao  (肖 娟)
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  2. Hua Zhang  (张 华)
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  3. Jing-ling Chang  (常静玲)
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  4. Li Zhou  (周 莉)
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  5. Zhong-jian Tan  (谭中建)
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  6. Hai-zhen Zhong  (钟海珍)
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  7. Dan Zhu  (朱 丹)
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  8. Ying Gao  (高 颖)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jing-ling Chang  (常静玲).

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81072768), the New Century Excellent Talents in University of the Ministry of Education of China (No. NCET-11-0603) and Capital Featured Clinical Research of Beijing Municipal Science and Technology, China (No. Z131107002213094)

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Xiao, J., Zhang, H., Chang, Jl. et al. Effects of electro-acupuncture at Tongli (HT 5) and Xuanzhong (GB 39) acupoints from functional magnetic resonance imaging evidence. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 22, 846–854 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-015-1971-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-015-1971-2

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