Spatiotemporal patterns of neural activity in response to electroacupuncture stimulation in the rodent primary somatosensory cortex.
OBJECTIVE
Optical imaging technique enables the recording of cortical activities in multiple sites of the primary somatosensory cortex in real time. The present study was aimed to visualize neural activity in response to the acupuncture stimulation in the rodent primary somatosensory cortex by a high-resolution optical imaging system using voltage-sensitive dyes.


METHODS
Optical imaging was exploited to examine the temporal-spatial characteristic of rat primary somatosensory cortex during electroacupuncture stimulation (6 mA intensity and 2 ms duration) at two pairs of acupuncture points (ST36-SP6 or GB34-BL57).


RESULTS
In terms of magnitude and duration of the optical response, there was no difference between ST36-SP6 and GB34-BL57 stimulations. Maximally activated sites by electroacupuncture stimulation to the different acupuncture points were spatially differentiated in rat primary somatosensory cortex.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that neuronal responses to electroacupuncture stimulation can be visualized in rat primary somatosensory cortex using an optical imaging system. The topographical mapping of acupuncture points in primary somatosensory cortex will make a significant contribution to the understanding of neural mechanisms of the acupuncture treatment and Meridian phenomena.
Chae
Younbyoung
Y
Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
Park
Hi-Joon
HJ
Hahm
Dae-Hyun
DH
Lee
Bae-Hwan
BH
Park
Hun-Kuk
HK
Lee
Hyejung
H
D000818:Animals; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D056969:Voltage-Sensitive Dye Imaging