• DOI:10.1148/RADIOLOGY.212.1.R99JL04133
• Corpus ID: 22092442

Central nervous pathway for acupuncture stimulation: localization of processing with functional MR imaging of the brain--preliminary experience.

@article{Wu1999CentralNP,
  title={Central nervous pathway for acupuncture stimulation: localization of processing with functional MR imaging of the brain--preliminary experience.},
  author={M. -T. Wu and J. C. Hsieh and Jin-Yu Xiong and C. F. Yang and Huay-Ben Pan and Y C Chen and Greg Tsai and Bruce R. Rosen and Kenneth K. Kwong},
  journal={Radiology},
  year={1999},
  volume={212 1},
  pages={
          133-41
        }
}

• M. Wu, J. Hsieh, +6 authors K. Kwong
• Published 1 July 1999
• Biology, Medicine
• Radiology

PURPOSE
To characterize the central nervous system (CNS) pathway for acupuncture stimulation in the human brain by using functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Functional MR imaging of the whole brain was performed in two groups of nine healthy subjects during four stimulation paradigms: real acupuncture at acupoints ST.36 (on the leg) and LI.4 (on the hand) and control stimulations (minimal acupuncture and superficial pricking on the leg). Stimulations were performed in semirandomized, balanced order nested within two experiments. Psychophysical responses (pain, De-Qi effect [characteristic acupuncture effect of needle-manipulation sensation], anxiety, and unpleasantness) and autonomic responses were assessed. Talairach coordinates-transformed imaging data were averaged for a group analysis.

RESULTS
Acupuncture at LI.4 and ST.36 resulted in significantly higher scores for De-Qi and in substantial bradycardia. Acupuncture at both acupoints resulted in activation of the hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens and deactivation of the rostral part of the anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala formation, and hippocampal complex; control stimulations did not result in such activations and deactivations.

CONCLUSION
Functional MR imaging can demonstrate the CNS pathway for acupuncture stimulation. Acupuncture at ST.36 and LI.4 activates structures of descending antinociceptive pathway and deactivates multiple limbic areas subserving pain association. These findings may shed light on the CNS mechanism of acupuncture analgesia and form a basis for future investigations of endogenous pain modulation circuits in the human brain.