Electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as neuroimaging technologies, provided objective and visualized technical tools for analyzing the brain effect mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion from the perspectives of brain structure, function, metabolism, and hemodynamics. The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms can compensate for issues such as the large and scattered nature of neuroimaging data, inconsistent quality, and high heterogeneity of image information. The integration of AI with neuroimaging can facilitate individualized, intelligent, and precise prediction of acupuncture and moxibustion effects, enable intelligent classification of differential acupuncture responses, and identify brain activation patterns. This paper focuses on EEG and MRI, analyzing how machine learning and deep learning optimize multimodal neuroimaging data and their applications in the study of acupuncture and moxibustion brain effects mechanisms. Furthermore, it highlights current research gaps and limitations to provide insights for future studies on acupuncture brain effects mechanisms.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Brain/physiology* ; Moxibustion ; Neuroimaging/methods* ; Artificial Intelligence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Electroencephalography

Objective:To investigate factors influencing frequent episodes (≥ 4 episodes within 1 year) in children with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in China.Methods:A national multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted. Patients under the age of 18 years diagnosed with moderate-to-severe AD were enrolled at dermatology clinics in 18 medical institutions across 12 provinces and municipalities in China between June 12 and August 8, 2023. At the time of the visit, their guardians completed a structured questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, clinical features of AD, personal and family history, factors associated with frequent episodes of moderate-to-severe AD, compliance with treatment, and disease awareness. Statistical analyses included t tests, one-way analysis of variance, rank-sum tests, and chi-square tests, with multiple-response analysis applied for multiple-choice questions. Results:A total of 965 valid questionnaires were collected, and 965 children with moderate-to-severe AD were included. Among them, there were 531 males and 434 females, 678 (70.3%) were aged 2 - < 12 years, 837 (86.7%) were from urban areas, the age at onset was 2.47 ± 3.03 years, and the median frequency of AD episodes in the past year was 4 times. These children were divided into 2 groups based on the median episode frequency: < 4-episode group (439 cases, 45.5%) and ≥ 4-episode group (526 cases, 54.5%). Compared with the < 4-episode group, children in the ≥ 4-episode group showed younger ages at onset (2.22 ± 2.98 years vs. 2.76 ± 3.06 years, P = 0.006) and higher proportions of patients with comorbid allergic diseases in both the children themselves (82.9% [436/526] vs. 69.7% [306/439], χ2 = 23.42, P < 0.001) and their relatives (66.0% [347/526] vs. 57.4% [252/439], χ2 = 7.46, P = 0.006). Children in the ≥ 4- episode group also had higher monthly usage of moisturizers (150 [30, 300] g vs. 60 [6, 200] g) and daily frequency of moisturizer use, greater disease awareness, but more severe fear of medication use (all P < 0.05). The region and the human development index level were both significantly associated with the episode frequency (both P < 0.001), with the highest proportion of children from South China in the ≥ 4- episode group (36.3%, 191/526). Children in the ≥ 4-episode group also had a longer duration of topical glucocorticoid use than those in the < 4-episode group ( Z = -2.21, P = 0.027). External triggers associated with AD episodes mainly included heat exposure (50.36%, 486/965), hot water bathing (40.73%, 393/965), seafood (23.52%, 227/965), and dust mites (33.37%, 322/965) . Conclusion:In children with moderate-to-severe AD in China, factors influencing frequent episodes may include residence in southern or economically developed regions, earlier age at onset, having a personal or family history of allergic diseases, and fear of medication use.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) combined with drug treatment in patients with bipolar Ⅰ disorder (BD Ⅰ).Methods:Forty-two patients with BD Ⅰ who were admitted to the Mental Health Center Affiliated to Anhui Medical University from March 2022 to June 2023 were included in this randomized double-blind study. These patients were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group using an Excel spreadsheet. In the control group, patients received 10 sessions of sham stimulation in addition to drug treatment, while the observation group received 10 sessions of tACS along with drug treatment. All patients were treated for 2 weeks. Each patient received stimulation for 15 minutes on each of the right and left prefrontal lobes once every working day. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores and Bech-Rafaelsen Mania Scale (BRMS) scores were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Eighteen patients from the observation group and nineteen patients from the control group were included in the final analysis.Results:Two weeks after treatment, the MoCA score in the observation group was higher than that in the control group [(27.39 ± 1.88) vs. (24.63 ± 2.39)], and the BRMS score in the observation group was lower than that in the control group [(15.89 ± 3.18) vs. (19.00 ± 3.32)]. These differences were statistically significant ( t = -3.89, 2.91, both P < 0.05). After treatment, the MoCA score in the observation group increased, while the BRMS score decreased ( t = 5.04, -4.14, both P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis indicated the change in MoCA score was negatively correlated with BRMS score in both groups ( r = -0.433, P < 0.05). Conclusions:Drug treatment combined with tACS greatly improved clinical cognitive symptoms and reduced manic symptoms in patients with BD Ⅰ. The combined therapy exhibited better efficacy than monotherapy.

Objective:To investigate factors influencing frequent episodes (≥ 4 episodes within 1 year) in children with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in China.Methods:A national multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted. Patients under the age of 18 years diagnosed with moderate-to-severe AD were enrolled at dermatology clinics in 18 medical institutions across 12 provinces and municipalities in China between June 12 and August 8, 2023. At the time of the visit, their guardians completed a structured questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, clinical features of AD, personal and family history, factors associated with frequent episodes of moderate-to-severe AD, compliance with treatment, and disease awareness. Statistical analyses included t tests, one-way analysis of variance, rank-sum tests, and chi-square tests, with multiple-response analysis applied for multiple-choice questions. Results:A total of 965 valid questionnaires were collected, and 965 children with moderate-to-severe AD were included. Among them, there were 531 males and 434 females, 678 (70.3%) were aged 2 - < 12 years, 837 (86.7%) were from urban areas, the age at onset was 2.47 ± 3.03 years, and the median frequency of AD episodes in the past year was 4 times. These children were divided into 2 groups based on the median episode frequency: < 4-episode group (439 cases, 45.5%) and ≥ 4-episode group (526 cases, 54.5%). Compared with the < 4-episode group, children in the ≥ 4-episode group showed younger ages at onset (2.22 ± 2.98 years vs. 2.76 ± 3.06 years, P = 0.006) and higher proportions of patients with comorbid allergic diseases in both the children themselves (82.9% [436/526] vs. 69.7% [306/439], χ2 = 23.42, P < 0.001) and their relatives (66.0% [347/526] vs. 57.4% [252/439], χ2 = 7.46, P = 0.006). Children in the ≥ 4- episode group also had higher monthly usage of moisturizers (150 [30, 300] g vs. 60 [6, 200] g) and daily frequency of moisturizer use, greater disease awareness, but more severe fear of medication use (all P < 0.05). The region and the human development index level were both significantly associated with the episode frequency (both P < 0.001), with the highest proportion of children from South China in the ≥ 4- episode group (36.3%, 191/526). Children in the ≥ 4-episode group also had a longer duration of topical glucocorticoid use than those in the < 4-episode group ( Z = -2.21, P = 0.027). External triggers associated with AD episodes mainly included heat exposure (50.36%, 486/965), hot water bathing (40.73%, 393/965), seafood (23.52%, 227/965), and dust mites (33.37%, 322/965) . Conclusion:In children with moderate-to-severe AD in China, factors influencing frequent episodes may include residence in southern or economically developed regions, earlier age at onset, having a personal or family history of allergic diseases, and fear of medication use.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) combined with drug treatment in patients with bipolar Ⅰ disorder (BD Ⅰ).Methods:Forty-two patients with BD Ⅰ who were admitted to the Mental Health Center Affiliated to Anhui Medical University from March 2022 to June 2023 were included in this randomized double-blind study. These patients were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group using an Excel spreadsheet. In the control group, patients received 10 sessions of sham stimulation in addition to drug treatment, while the observation group received 10 sessions of tACS along with drug treatment. All patients were treated for 2 weeks. Each patient received stimulation for 15 minutes on each of the right and left prefrontal lobes once every working day. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores and Bech-Rafaelsen Mania Scale (BRMS) scores were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Eighteen patients from the observation group and nineteen patients from the control group were included in the final analysis.Results:Two weeks after treatment, the MoCA score in the observation group was higher than that in the control group [(27.39 ± 1.88) vs. (24.63 ± 2.39)], and the BRMS score in the observation group was lower than that in the control group [(15.89 ± 3.18) vs. (19.00 ± 3.32)]. These differences were statistically significant ( t = -3.89, 2.91, both P < 0.05). After treatment, the MoCA score in the observation group increased, while the BRMS score decreased ( t = 5.04, -4.14, both P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis indicated the change in MoCA score was negatively correlated with BRMS score in both groups ( r = -0.433, P < 0.05). Conclusions:Drug treatment combined with tACS greatly improved clinical cognitive symptoms and reduced manic symptoms in patients with BD Ⅰ. The combined therapy exhibited better efficacy than monotherapy.

Tufted angioma (TA) is a rare vascular endothelial cell tumor that often occurs in infants and early childhood and is rare in adults. There are currently no unified treatment guidelines, and treatment options for children with TA are limited and challenging. This report introduces a case of a child diagnosed with superficial TA in the left popliteal fossa. Topical 0.1% sirolimus cream was given in the early stage and combined with pulsed dye laser treatment in the later stage. The child’s skin lesions recovered well. The author reviews relevant literature reports to summarize the treatment of TA in children and provide relevant ideas and new options for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Tufted angioma (TA) is a rare vascular endothelial cell tumor that often occurs in infants and early childhood and is rare in adults. There are currently no unified treatment guidelines, and treatment options for children with TA are limited and challenging. This report introduces a case of a child diagnosed with superficial TA in the left popliteal fossa. Topical 0.1% sirolimus cream was given in the early stage and combined with pulsed dye laser treatment in the later stage. The child’s skin lesions recovered well. The author reviews relevant literature reports to summarize the treatment of TA in children and provide relevant ideas and new options for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Objective:To study the risk model of medical equipment maintenance and repair based on system dynamics,and to solve the problems of frequent risk of corruption,high transaction prices and low procurement timeliness in the process of medical equipment maintenance and repair.Methods:The risk matrix was formed by analyzing the procurement risk of medical equipment maintenance and warranty,and the risk matrix was drawn.The system dynamics model was constructed around the price risk,schedule risk and corruption risk of medical equipment maintenance procurement,and the causal relationship and feedback effect between the risk influencing factors of medical equipment maintenance procurement were revealed through the construction of causality diagram and stock flow diagram.The risk change effects of the PLA General Hospital's application of the system dynamics-based medical equipment maintenance and procurement risk model in practice in 2022 was compared.Results:After the application of risk management control based on system dynamics model,the increase of procurement price risk decreased from 0.54 before control to 0.27,the increase of corruption risk decreased from 0.27 before control to 0.05,and the increase of schedule risk decreased slowly.After lowering the risk threshold,the increase of price risk and price risk decrease significantly.When the risk threshold was reduced from 60 to 40,the project success rate was increased by 6.52%and the rate of doubts and complaints decreased by 6.61%.Conclusion:The medical equipment maintenance risk model based on system dynamics strictly manages the procurement demand side,implements price limit and price review management,and can effectively eliminate the corruption risk and schedule risk derived from price risk by optimizing the procurement method,building the negotiation price limit model and improving the price review and pricing mechanism.

Broca's aphasia is a common type of aphasia after stroke. Its etiology and pathogenes belong to deficient root and excessive superficial. Deficiency of qi and blood, liver and kidney yin is the origin of the disease, and wind, fire, phlegm and blood stasis are the symptoms. Acupuncture therapy aims to refresh the brain, dredge the orifices and amplify the sound, supplemented by benefiting qi and blood, removing phlegm and blood stasis, benefiting tongue. At present, scalp acupuncture, tongue acupuncture, electroacupuncture, characteristic acupuncture and acupuncture combined with other therapies are commonly used to treat the disease. It is observed that acupuncture combined with other therapies have showed advantages in reducing the disability, and realize the optimal principle.

Objective:To investigate the effects of total shoulder arthroscopy versus small-incision rotator cuff repair on shoulder range of motion, postoperative pain, and complications in patients with rotator cuff injury. Methods:The clinical data of 106 patients with rotator cuff injuries treated in Yiwu Central Hospital between June 2018 and July 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into an observation group and a control group according to different treatment regimens, with 53 patients in each group. The control group underwent arthroscopic small-incision rotator cuff repair. The observation group underwent total shoulder arthroscopy. Perioperative indicators, pain (Visual Analogue Scale score) before surgery and 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery, shoulder range of motion and shoulder-elbow function before surgery, and 3 and 6 months after surgery and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups.Results:Operative time in the observation group was significantly longer than that in the control group [(98.67 ± 12.31) minutes vs. (85.72 ± 10.53) minutes, t = 5.82, P < 0.01). Intraoperative blood loss, postoperative passive shoulder expansion time, and hospital stay in the observation group were (28.66 ± 3.12) mL, (5.61 ± 1.03) days, and (14.17 ± 2.26) days, which were significantly shorter than (37.68 ± 3.59) mL, (7.22 ± 1.41) days and (17.21 ± 3.04) days in the control group ( t = 13.81, 6.71, 5.86, all P < 0.01). After surgery, the Visual Analogue Scale score in each group significantly decreased compared with that before surgery (both P < 0.05). At 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery, the Visual Analogue Scale score in the observation group was (2.46 ± 0.63) points, (1.53 ± 0.42) points, and (1.03 ± 0.26) points, respectively, which were significantly lower than (3.04 ± 0.74) points, (1.84 ± 0.51) points, and (1.21 ± 0.34) points in the control group ( t = 4.35, 3.42, 3.06, all P < 0.01). At 3 and 6 months after surgery, the ranges of motion of shoulder abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation in each group significantly increased compared with those before surgery (all P < 0.05). The scores of American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons and the University of California Los Angeles in each group were significantly increased compared with those before surgery (both P < 0.05). After treatment, there were no significant differences in the scores of American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons and the University of California Los Angeles between the two groups (both P < 0.05). By 6 months after surgery, the incidence of complications in the control group was 3.77%. No obvious complications were observed in the observation group. There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups ( χ2 = 0.51, P > 0.05). Conclusion:Compared with small-incision rotator cuff repair, total arthroscopic rotator cuff repair has less invasive trauma and mild pain and is more conducive to postoperative shoulder function recovery.