针刺足阳明胃经两相邻穴位脑功能磁共振成像研究

目的研究针刺足阳明胃经两相邻穴位所引起的脑功能变化情况。方法将27名健康右利手志愿者随机分为3组,分别针刺右侧陷谷穴、内庭穴以及二者附近的假穴,针刺同时进行全脑功能核磁共振成像,运用统计参数图软件（SPM）加以处理。结果针刺两个穴位激活的相同脑区包括双侧第一感觉/运动区（SI/MI）,同侧小脑和第二感觉区（SII）。针刺陷谷穴特异性激活了同侧额内侧回,额下回内侧,扣带回前部（ACC）和丘脑腹外侧核;针刺内庭穴特异性激活了双侧扣带回后部（PCC）,对侧额中回,额下回,楔前叶,同侧舌回,枕中回,豆状核。结论从影像学角度验证了针刺同一经络上位置相近功能相似的腧穴可以引起与治疗作用相关的中枢神经系统响应。

fMRI study of acupuncture at adjacent acupoints located on the Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming

Objective To investigate the fMRI signal changes in the human brain induced by acupuncture at adjacent acupoints located on the Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming. Methods Twenty-seven healthy right-handed subjects were divided into three groups randomly and received acupuncture at right ST43 (Xiangu), right ST44 (Neiting) and their nearby sham acupoint respectively. Brain functional images of all subjects were obtained during acupuncture stimulation. Through analysis fMRI data from all subjects using SPM2 software, the activation patterns in central nervous system (CNS) evoked by acupuncture were acquired. Results The results showed that two acupoints under consideration had the common effect of activating three specific areas of the brain: the bilateral SI/MI, the ipsilateral cerebellum and SII. Acupuncture at ST43 specifically activated ipsilateral medial frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, ACC and thalamus. Stimulation of ST44 selectively activated bilateral PCC, contralateral middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, precuneus, and ipsilateral lingual gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, lentiform nucleus. Conclusion This phenomenon validated that acupuncture at adjacent same-meridian acupoints, which had similar clinical functions, would activate specific responses in CNS, which were relevant to the therapeutic effects of the acupoints.