Objective:To explore the combined effect of acupuncture at two adjacent acupoints in the same meridian,and to provide some evidences for the central mechanism and meridian theory of acupuncture.Methods:Fifty healthy volunteers were randomly divided into 2 groups,the Liangqiu acupoint combined with Zusanli acupoint acupuncture group(ST34+ST36 group)and the Zusanli acupoint combined with Shangjuxu acupoint acupuncture group(ST36+ST37 group).All volunteers underwent fMRI,and the brain activity pattern of 2 groups was analyzed and compared.The type and intensity of acupuncture sensation were recorded,and the relationship between acupuncture sensation and brain activity was evaluated.Results:The ST34+ST36 group and ST36+ST37 group had common activation regions concentrated in the right orbital gyrus,the left inferior frontal gyrus,the left anterior cingulate gyrus and the left orbital gyrus.The two groups had common negative activation regions concentrated in the right marginal gyrus,the right caudate nucleus,the right putamen and the left insula.The ST34+ ST36 group was more active in the left inferior frontal gyrus and the left anterior cingulate gyrus,while the ST36+ST37 group was more active in the right margin gyrus,the left insula and the left putamen.Conclusions:Acupuncture stimulation of two adjacent acupuncture points in the same meridian can produce synergistic effect,and different acupuncture point combinations have different effects on brain activity.These results provide some evidences for the central mechanism and meridian theory of acupuncture,and also provide a reference for the design of acupuncture scheme.
Functional magnetic resonance imagingAcupoint combination acupunctureFoot Yang Ming MeridianLiangqiu(ST34)Zusanli(ST36)Shangjuxu(ST37)
国家科技期刊平台
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维普
万方数据
