[Effect of scalp acupuncture on glucose metabolism in brain of patients with depression].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the effect of scalp acupuncture (SA) on the glucose metabolism in different regions of brain in patients with depression by positron emission computed tomography (PET).


METHODS
Twelve depressive patients were treated by scalp acupuncture on middle line of vertex (MS5), middle line of forehead (MS1) and bilateral lateral line 1 of forehead (MS2), once a day for six days per week, and received PET detection on different region of brain before and after 6 weeks acupuncture treatment. Semiquantitative analysis was used to compare the average values of radioactive count gotten from various brain regions before and after treatment, which could reflect the condition of glucose metabolism at the brain region detected.


RESULTS
SA could increase the glucose metabolism at bilateral frontal lobes, bilateral parietal lobes, right occipital lobe, right caudate nucleus, right cingulated gyrus and left cerebellum and decrease that at right temporal lobe and bilateral thalamus.


CONCLUSIONS
SA on MS5, MS1 and MS2 in depressive patients could influence the glucose metabolism in various brain regions. It primarily illustrated that the mechanism of SA in treating depression is related with its regulation on cortex-limbic circuitry dysfunction and increase the glucose metabolism in various brain regions.
Huang
Yong
Y
Department of TCM, Nanfang Medical University, Guangzhou 510515. tcmhuang@21cn.com
Li
Dong-jiang
DJ
Tang
An-wu
AW
Li
Qiu-shi
QS
Xia
Dong-bin
DB
Xie
Ya-ning
YN
Gong
Wei
W
Chen
Jing
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012535:Scalp
D005947:Glucose