Regulation Of Electro-acupuncture Ren And Du Meridians On Brainstem Swallowing Reflex

ObjectiveThe aim of this research is to investigate the effects of Electro-acupuncture Ren meridians Lianquan, RN23 and Du meridians Fengfu, DU16 on the activation of brainstem swallowing reflex under physiological conditions by vagus nerve stimulation on the basis of neurophysiological mechanism of swallowing function. Our study provides the intrinsic mechanism of the treatment of dysphagia after stroke and the scientific basis for the clinical treatment of dysphagia after stroke by acupuncture.MethodsThe 15 healthy subjects from the first part of our experiement (TMS on the swallowing cortex)were brought into my study. DESIGN:Self-control study. The vagus nerves were stimulated with 40mm figure-eight coil on the left and right side of the healthy subjects’neck respectively,2cm below the angle of the jaw along the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid, before and after acupuncture Ren and Du meridians. The electroacupuncture parameters are choosed from the first part of our experiement:2Hzn 15min and the maximum tolerated intensity. The EMG of mylohyoid and pharyngeal muscles before and after acupuncture were recorded and the changes were comprared. The amplitude of the EMG represented the degree of muscle excitation, while the latency represented the time from sensory afferent to motor neuron depolarization.Result □Both left and right vagus nerves stimulation (VNS) could evoke human’ s brainstem swallowing reflex. The amplitude of the EMG of mylohyoid and pharyngeal muscles increased after acupuncture Ren and Du meridians (P＜0.05); while the latency of mylohyoid and pharyngeal muscles had no significant change (P＞0.05)ConclusionThere is certain regulation on the excitability healthy human’s brainstem swallowing reflex evoked by both left and right VNS after acupuncture Ren and Du meridians, with the electroacupuncture parameters: 2Hz、15min and the subject’s maximum tolerated intensity. The sensory afferent information from electroacupuncture may take part in the regulation of human’s brainstem swallowing reflex via cranial nerves, NTS or together with cortical area.