Author: Zhou S1, Zeng F1, Liu J2, Zheng H1, Huang W3, Liu T1, Chen D1, Qin W2, Gong Q4, Tian J2, Li Y1.
Affiliation: 1Acupuncture and Tuina School, The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 37 Shi'er Qiao Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610075, China. 2School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Shaanxi 710071, China. 3The institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center, 10117 Berlin, Germany. 4Department of Radiology, The Center for Medical Imaging, Huaxi MR Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
Conference/Journal: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.
Date published: 2013
Other:
Volume ID: 2013 , Pages: 975769 , Special Notes: doi: 10.1155/2013/975769. , Word Count: 207
Acupuncture is a commonly used therapy for treating functional diarrhea (FD), although there is limited knowledge on the mechanism. The objectives of this study were to investigate the differences in brain activities elicited by acupuncture between FD patients and healthy controls (HC) so as to explore the possible mechanism. Eighteen FD patients and eighteen HC received 10 sessions of acupuncture treatment at ST25 acupoints. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were, respectively, performed before and after acupuncture. The defecation frequency, Bristol stool form scale (SBFS), and MOS 36-item Short Healthy Survey (SF-36) were employed to evaluate the clinical efficacy. After acupuncture, the FD patients showed a significant decrease in defecation frequency and BSFS score. The regional homogeneity (ReHo) map showed a decrease in the paracentral lobule and postcentral gyrus, and an increase in the angular gyrus, insula, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and precuneus in the FD group. Moreover, the changes in ReHo values in the ACC were correlated with the reduction in defecation frequency. Decreasing functional connectivity among the ACC, insula, thalamus, and orbital frontal cortex only existed in the FD group. Conclusively, acupuncture alleviated defecation frequency and improved stool formation in FD patients. The efficacy might result from the regulation of the homeostasis afferent processing network.
PMID: 24459533