Effects of acupuncture at Hegu(LI4) on oxygenated hemoglobin levels in the visual cortex:an fNIRS-based study
10.13389/j.cnki.rao.2025.0152
- VernacularTitle:基于功能性近红外光谱技术探讨针刺合谷穴对视皮层氧合血红蛋白含量的影响
- Author:
Qingyu WANG
1
;
Qingmei TIAN
;
Xuejing WANG
;
Qiuxin WU
;
Xiuyan ZHANG
;
Lian ZHANG
;
Ailing BI
;
Hongsheng BI
Author Information
1. 250014 山东省济南市,山东中医药大学
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
functional near-infrared spectroscopy;
Hegu(LI4)acupoint;
striate area;
extrastriate area;
oxygenated hemoglobin
- From:
Recent Advances in Ophthalmology
2025;45(11):883-887
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the effect of acupuncture at Hegu(LI4)on neural activity in the visual cortex of healthy volunteers using functional near-infrared spectroscopy(fNIRS).Methods Each healthy volunteer underwent three sets of trials in a resting state:the LI4 group received acupuncture stimulation at the right Hegu(LI4)acupoint;the negative control was the sham acupoint group(SHAM group);and the positive control was the visual stimulation group(VISUAL group).fNIRS was used to simultaneously monitor changes in oxygenated hemoglobin(Oxy-Hb)levels in the vis-ual cortex during various stages of acupuncture or visual tasks,thereby reflecting the activation level of the visual cortex.The entire acupuncture procedure was performed with the subjects' eyes closed.fNIRS recorded the raw optical density values of hemodynamics in the region of interest(ROI)of the visual cortex during each task phase.The relative coefficientβ value for oxygenated hemoglobin was obtained via Matlab analysis,and the coefficient difference Δβ value between the task period and the baseline period was calculated,representing the degree of change in oxygenated hemoglobin content in-duced by the stimulus,which reflected the change in activation level of the visual cortex after acupuncture or visual stimu-lation.A larger Δβ value indicates a higher degree of visual cortex activation.Generalized estimating equations(GEE)were applied to analyze the differences in visual cortex activation levels among the LI4,SHAM,and VISUAL groups.Results In channels 15 and 17 of the striate area and channels 10 and 13 of the extrastriate area,the Δβ values of sub-jects in the LI4 group during the needle manipulation and withdrawal phases were significantly higher than those in the SHAM group(all P＜0.01).When comparing the Δβ values of the LI4 group during the needle manipulation and withdrawal phases with those of the VISUAL group,under the current sample size,the differences were not statistically significant(all P＞0.05).The Δβ values in both the striate and extrastriate areas of the LI4 group peaked during the needle manipulation phase.Conclusion Acupuncture at Hegu(LI4)can effectively activate the visual cortex in healthy volunteers,with the most significant increase in activation observed during the needle manipulation phase.
