Effects of electroacupuncture on the short-term and medium-term clinical outcomes and brain function in lumbar intervertebral disc herniation:a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study
10.3969/j.issn.1001-1242.2025.05.004
- VernacularTitle:电针对腰椎间盘突出症患者中短期疗效及脑功能的影响:基于静息态功能磁共振成像评估
- Author:
Ying LV
1
;
Ting XU
;
Fangfang MA
Author Information
1. 南京中医药大学第一临床医学院,江苏省 南京市,210023;昆山市中医医院康复科
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
lumbar disc herniation;
electroacupuncture;
resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging;
re-gional homogeneity;
degree centrality
- From:
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
2025;40(5):673-679
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To observe the short-term and medium-term clinical effects of electroacupuncture(EA)on patients with lumbar disc herniation(LDH)and to explore the cerebral effects based on resting-state functional magnet-ic resonance(rs-fMRI).Method:Thirty patients with LDH received EA at bilateral L3—S1 jiaji(EX-B2)and Dachangshu(BL25)points in continuous-wave mode at 20Hz(intensity adjusted to patient tolerance),20 minutes per session,every other day for ten sessions.Thirty-three age-and sex-matched healthy volunteers served as controls.All patients underwent rs-fMRI scans before treatment;The LDH group was rescanned one month after completion of EA.The modified Oswestry disability index(ODI),mental health summary(MCS)and physical health summary(PCS)of the short form health survey(SF-36)were assessed in LDH group before treatment and one,three,and six months after treatment.Voxel-wise regional homogeneity(ReHo)and degree centrality(DC)in brain areas were computed to compare between the two groups at baseline and pre-and post-treatment in LDH group.Result:After EA,LDH patients experienced significant reductions in ODI scores at one,three,and six months compared with baseline(P<0.05).PCS score continued to significantly improve at 3 months and 1 month(P<0.05),and the efficacy was the best at 3 months.There was a downward trend in 6 months after treatment,but still remained above baseline(P=0.072).The MCS score also rose at one and three months(P<0.05)but declined by six months.Compared with the control group,LDH patients exhibited increased ReHo in the left anterior cingulate gyrus,elevated DC in bilateral thalami,and decreased DC in bilateral postcentral gyri.After EA treatment,the LDH group showed increased ReHo in bilateral precuneus and the right middle frontal gyrus,as well as increased DC in the left postcentral gyrus.Conclusion:Electroacupuncture improves the short-term and medium-term clinical outcomes in LDH patients,with maximal benefit at three months.The role of electroacupuncture in improving pain and mental health is related to the regulation of pain matrix,default mode brain network,and emotional cognitive control network.
