title: Reducing the effects of driving fatigue with magnitopuncture stimulation.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of reducing driving fatigue with magnitopuncture stimuli on Dazhui (DU14) point and Neiguan (PC6) points using heart rate (HR), reaction time (RT) testing, right rate (RR), critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF) and subjective evaluation. Forty healthy subjects were randomly divided into two groups: study and control groups. All subjects were required to be well rested before the experiment. The subjects were engaged in high speed driving at a constant vehicle velocity of 80 km/h continuously for 3h on a test course simulating an expressway. During the driving magnitopunctures (Haci Five Elements Needle, 250 mT, made by Haci Company limited) were applied to the Dazhui (DU14) point and Neiguan (PC6) points for the study group when the subject performed the task for 2.5h, and for the control group magnitopunctures were applied to non-acupuncture points during the same time session. The results of this study show a significant effect of magnitopuncture stimuli on RT, RR and CFF. Subjective evaluation also exhibited significant differences (P < 0.05) between the two groups after the driving task. The findings showed that magnitopuncture stimuli on DU14 point and PC6 points could reduce the effects of driving fatigue.
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Room 411, Mechanical Building, Shanghai 200030, China. zyongli@263.net
authors.forename: Zengyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chengtao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001334:Automobile Driving; D005221:Fatigue / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005425:Flicker Fusion; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics; D008297:Male; D005222:Mental Fatigue / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011930:Reaction Time