Quantification of electroacupuncture-induced neural activity by analysis of functional neural imaging with monocrystalline iron oxide nanocolloid enhancement.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the neural activity of electroacupuncture (EA) quantitatively. The responses of Sprague-Dawley rats' brain to EA on acupoints--Hegu (LI 4) and Neiguan (PC 6)--were detected by monocrystalline iron oxide nanoparticle (MION)-enhanced functional magnetic resonance imaging (MION-fMRI), which is a 1.5 T horizontal spectrometer equipped with a circular polarized extremity coil. During EA at LI 4, neural activities were analyzed by analysis of functional neural images (AFNI). Neural activation was detected at the structures of hypothalamus, thalamus, hippocampus, and the cortex, while neural deactivation existed at the areas adjacent to the activated sites. EA on PC 6 activated the structures of thalamus and the cortex but deactivated the structures of hypothalamus and hippocampus. The brain responses to EA existed in different areas of activation and deactivation despite stimulating the same acupoint. Additionally, distinct brain neuroimages were produced through stimulating different acupoints. This study suggests that fMRI with AFNI is a good approach to quantifying brain activities. This innovative method brings new perspective into the mechanisms of acupuncture.
Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Shao-Chang
SC
Ho
Jen-Hwey
JH
Chiu
Tzu-Cheng
TC
Yeh
Jen-Chuen
JC
Hsieh
Hui-Cheng
HC
Cheng
Henrich
H
Cheng
Low-Tone
LT
Ho
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D003102:Colloids; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013788:Thalamus / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology
D003102:Colloids; D005290:Ferric Compounds; C000499:ferric oxide