Study On Brain Effect Mechanism Of Acupuncture At Taichong Point In Healthy Young People Based On FMRI Technology

Objective:To explore the effect mechanism of acupuncture at Taichong(LR 3)using blood oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging(Bold-fMRI),so as to promote the modernization of acupoint theory.By observing the distribution of brain activation areas of acupuncture at Taichong(LR 3)and corresponding non-acupoints,the differences in brain activation areas caused by the two acupoints and the correlation between efficacy and indications were analyzed.To compare the changes of resting-state regional homogeneity(ReHo)index before and after acupuncture at Taichong(LR 3),observe the changes of neuronal activity at LR 3,and study the central mechanism of post-acupoint effect of acupuncture.Methods:According to the inclusion criteria,17 healthy right-handed subjects were selected.Philips 3.0T dual-source dual-gradient magnetic resonance imaging scanner was used to acquire task-state image data of subjects after acupuncture at right Taichong(LR 3)and corresponding non-acupoints.In addition,the resting-state fMRI data before and after acupuncture were collected.MATLAB 2017a platform was used to run DPARSFA 4.1 to process the relevant image data,and SPM12 software was used to analyze the obtained data,and the location,voxel value,activation degree of acupuncture at Taichong and corresponding non-acupoint activated brain areas,and ReHo indexes before and after acupuncture were obtained.Results:1.The activated brain regions caused by acupuncture at Taichong:positive activation included the right insula(BA13),left orbital inferior frontal gyrus(BA47),right middle frontal gyrus(BA9),left middle temporal gyrus(BA21),right superior temporal gyrus(BA40),left opercular inferior frontal gyrus(BA45),left superior limbic gyrus(BA40)and left inferior parietal gyrus(BA7).Negative activation included the right caudate nucleus and left middle frontal gyrus(BA9).2.Activation of non-acupoint regions:positive activation included right middle temporal gyrus(BA39)and right angular gyrus(BA19);Negative activation included left orbital middle frontal gyrus(BA11),left orbital inferior frontal gyrus(BA47),right thalamus(BA25),and left thalamus(BA24).3.The difference of brain functional areas between acupuncture at Taichong and the corresponding non-acupoints:positive activation included the right cerebellum,left cerebellum,left superior cerebellum,left middle temporal gyrus(BA21),left inferior occipital gyrus(BA19),right inferior temporal gyrus,left postcentral gyrus(BA3)and right middle temporal gyrus(BA21).No statistically significant negative activation brain regions were obtained.4.Compared with the resting-state ReHo values before acupuncture,the brain regions with increased resting-state ReHo values after acupuncture at Taichong included the right hippocampus(BA28),left medial and lateral cingulate gyrus(BA24).The decreased ReHo values included left cuneus(BA1)and right middle occipital gyrus.Conclusions:1.Acupuncture at Taichong can regulate multiple brain areas such as insula,middle frontal gyrus,middle temporal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus.These brain areas are not only related to emotion,language and other functions,but also participate in cognitive function and pain regulation,which may be the brain effect mechanism of acupuncture at Taichong in the treatment of related diseases.2.The activated brain areas induced by acupuncture at right Taichong point in healthy subjects are more closely related to the acupoint characteristics and efficacy indications recorded in acupuncture theory,which confirms that the brain effect mechanism caused by acupuncture at Taichong point is specific.3.Compared with the resting state before acupuncture,the resting state ReHo index was changed after acupuncture at Taichong.The ReHo index in the higher nerve center hippocampus,cuneus,middle occipital gyrus and other brain areas changed significantly,indicating that acupuncture at Taichong not only had immediate effects,but also had lasting effects after acupuncture.