针刺太冲穴激活视皮层的脑功能磁共振研究

目的:应用血氧水平依赖性功能磁共振成像(BOLD-fMRI),探究针刺太冲穴治疗眼疾的现代科学机制.方法:30例健康志愿者接受交替针刺视觉相关穴位--太冲穴及假穴,1.5 T MRI采集数据,SPM 2软件处理后获得2个针刺任务的个体及组激活图;组激活图若见视皮层激活,计算激活点的信号强度,并采用SPSS 13.0软件进行Wilcoxon符号秩检验.结果:组激活图针刺太冲穴见视皮层激活,而假穴未见激活;针刺太冲穴双侧视皮层激活点信号强度均较强,且均为针刺侧激活强度强.个体激活图针刺太冲穴9例视皮层激活;假穴6例. 结论:BOLD-fMRI研究中发现针刺太冲穴激活双侧枕叶视皮层(BA18),负责较高级视觉过程,且针刺侧视皮层激活强度强,为中医针灸治疗眼疾提供了一种解释.

fMRI study of visual cortex activation treated by electroacupuncture stimulation at LR3(Taichong)

Objective： To explore the modern scientific mechanism of acupuncture for treating ophthalmic diseases with BOLD- fMRI. Methods： Thirty healthy volunteers underwent acupuncture stimulation at LR3 （Taichong） and sham acupoint near LR3 alternatively while 1.5T MRI collected functional data. The functional data were processed on a software SPM2. The individual activation maps and group activation maps were obtained. If the visual cortex was activated in group activation map, figure out the signal intensities in activated point of the two acupuncture tasks, the Wilcoxon test was performed by SPSS13.0. Results： In the activation group maps, left lingual gyrus and right inferior occipital gyrus were activated when acupuncture stimulation at right LR3. Sham aeupoint stimulation did not show any activation. The signal intensities of bilateral visual cortices when acu- puncture stimulation at LR3 were both more intensive than the sham aeupoint task. The signal intensities in acupuncture side was more intensive than it was in left visual cortex of these two acupuncture tasks. In the individual activation maps ,visual cor- tices were activated in 9 of 30 volunteers when acupuncture stimulation at right LR3, in 6 of 30 volunteers when acupuncture stimulation at sham acupoint. Conclusion： Application of BOLD technology in fMRI has shown that acupuncture stimulation at LR3 activates bilateral occipital visual cortices （BA18） which are both with responsibility for advanced visual disposal. The sig- nal intensity in ipsilateral acupuncture stimulation is more intensive than that in contralateral stimulation. The phenomenon might be one of the explaination for the mechanism of Chinese acupuncture for treating ophthalmic diseases.