Effect of needling at waiguan (SJ5) on brain glucose metabolism in patients with cerebral infarction.

En-tao Liu; Shu-xia Wang; Yong Huang; Xin-sheng Lai; Chun-zhi Tang; Shao-yang Cui

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Effect of needling at waiguan (SJ5) on brain glucose metabolism in patients with cerebral infarction.

Author: En-Tao LIU ¹ ; Shu-Xia WANG ¹ ; Yong HUANG ² ; Xin-Sheng LAI ³ ; Chun-Zhi TANG ³ ; Shao-Yang CUI ³
Author Information

1. Weilun PET Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510080, China.
2. School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
3. College of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510407, China.
Publication Type:Journal Article
MeSH: Acupuncture Points; Acupuncture Therapy; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Brain; metabolism; Cerebral Infarction; metabolism; therapy; Female; Glucose; metabolism; Humans; Male; Middle Aged
From: Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine 2013;33(10):1345-1351
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract:
OBJECTIVETo observe changes of brain glucose metabolism by needling at Waiguan (SJ5) in cerebral infraction (CI) patients using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron-emission computer tomography (PET/CT), thus exploring its effect and mechanisms.
METHODSA total of 21 patients with CI were recruited in this study. The location of lesion was limited to the left basal ganglia by CT or MRI scan. All patients were randomly assigned to three groups. i.e., the acupoint group (Group A), the non-acupoint group (Group B), the blank control group (Group C), 7 in each group. Patients in Group A were needled at right Waiguan (SJ5). Those in Group B were needled at non-acupoint [10 mm beside Waiguan (SJ5)], whereas those in Group C did not receive any treatment. All patients underwent PET/CT head scan. All data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 13.0 Software and SPM8 Software.
RESULTSCompared with Group C, glucose metabolism increased in bilateral superior temporal gyrus (BA38), right superior frontal gyrus (BA9), left cingulate gyrus (BA24), left culmen and pyramid of cerebellum, and right cerebellar tonsil of cerebellum in Group A. Compared with Group C, glucose metabolism increased in bilateral superior frontal gyrus (BA6, BA9, BA10), bilateral middle frontal gyrus (BA6, BA10), left middle frontal gyrus (BA4), bilateral uncus of limbic lobe (BA36, BA38), left cingulate gyrus (BA24, BA31), left posterior cingulate gyrus (BA30), left precuneus (BA7), left inferior parietal lobule (BA4), and left lingual gyrus of occipital lobe (BA18) in Group B. Compared with Group B, glucose metabolism increased in bilateral superior temporal gyrus (BA22, BA38), right inferior frontal gyrus (BA47), left culmen and cerebellar tonsil of cerebellum in Group A. Activated encephalic regions of needling at Waiguan (SJ5) were mainly dominated in the healthy side, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, and right inferior frontal gyrus. Activated encephalic regions of cerebellum were located at the left cerebellar hemisphere, left culmen of anterior cerebella lobe, and bilateral cerebellar tonsil of posterior cerebella lobe.
CONCLUSIONSNeedling at Waiguan (SJ5) of CI patients induced increased glucose metabolism in local cerebral regions. Functional neuroimaging using PET/CT could directly reflect changes of brain glucose metabolism by acupuncture.