title: [Influence of acupuncture of Zusanli (ST 36) on connectivity of brain functional network in healthy subjects].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of acupuncture of Zusanli (ST 36) on electroencephalogram (EEG) so as to probe into its law in regulating the interconnectivity of brain functional network.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 9 healthy young volunteer students (6 male, 3 female) participated in the present study. They were asked to take a dorsal position on a test-bed. EEG signals were acquired from 22 surface scalp electrodes (Fp1, Fp2, F7, F3, F2, F4, F8, A1, T3, C3, C2, C4, T4, A2, T5, P3, P2, P4, T6, O2, O1 and O2) fixed on the subject's head. Acupuncture stimulation was applied to the right Zusanli (ST 36) by manipulating the filiform needle with uniform reducing-reinforcing method and at a frequency of about 50 cycles/min for 2 min. Then the stimulation was stopped for 10 min, and repeated once again (needle-twirling frequency: 150 and 200 cycles/min), 3 times altogether. The acquired EEG data were analyzed by using coherence estimation method, average path length, average clustering coefficient, and the average degree of the articulation points (nodes) for analyzing the synchronization of EEG signals before, during and after acupuncture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparison with pre-acupuncture, the coherence amplitude values of EEG-delta (1-4 Hz) and y (31-47 Hz) waves were increased significantly after acupuncture of ST 36. No significant changes were found in the amplitude values of EEG-theta (5-8 Hz), -alpha (9-13 Hz) and-beta (14-30 Hz) waves after acupuncture stimulation. During and after acupuncture, the synchronism values of EEG-delta waves of different leads and numbers of interconnectivity between every two brain functional regions in majority of the 9 volunteers were increased clearly. In all volunteers, the degree values of all nodes except A1 and A2, the average clustering coefficients along with the increase of the threshold (r), and the average path lengths of the brain functional network of EEG-delta waves during and after acupuncture were also increased evidently (the latter two items, P < 0.05), suggesting an increase of the information exchange and functional connectivity of different brain regions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture of Zusanli (ST 36) can increase the amplitude and synchronization of EEG-delta waves of different leads, and potentiate the functional interconnectivity of brain functional network.
authors.affiliation: School of Electric and Automation Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China. nuoli@tju.edu.cn
authors.forename: Nuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Pang
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Xi-le
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Yan-qiu
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Che
authors.forename: Chen-hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chao
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net