[Research on effect of acupuncture at Sanyinjiao on brain function by means of positron emission tomographic imaging].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the mechanism of puncturing at Sanyinjiao (SP6) on modulatory function of central nerve system.


METHODS
Positron emission tomography (PET) was performed, using 18F-FDG as contrast medium, in six healthy female volunteers before and after puncturing right SP6 to detect the cerebral districts with changed glucose metabolism, using statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis.


RESULTS
Glucose metabolism was increased in contralateral primary somatosensory cortex, primary somatic motor cortex, pre-supplementary motor cortex (BA8), and medial prefrontal cortex (BA10), bilateral supplementary motor cortex (BA6), anterior cingulate gyrus (BA24, BA32), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA9), while glucose metabolism was decreased in lingual gyrus (BA17,18), hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus (BA28, BA35, BA30).


CONCLUSIONS
Functions of cerebral districts with changed glucose metabolism after puncturing SP6 was well parallels to the clinical effect of puncturing SP6, illustrating the brain plays a great role in the body regulation of acupuncture at SP6, which possibly was the central foundation of acupuncture therapy.
Institute of Intergrated Traditional CHinese and Western Medicine , Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030.
Ping
P
Gong
Ming-min
MM
Zhang
Li-ming
LM
Jiang
D026881:Acupuncture; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose