title: [Effect of acupoints with different tissue on electroacupuncture sensation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the influence on frequency, intensity and the amount of current flow produced by electroacupuncture sensation of acupoints with different distributions (meridian category, tissue type and nerve innervations).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one healthy volunteers were enrolled. According to the different tissue of acupoints, paired acupoints were grouped: Zusanli (ST 36) vs Yanglingquan (GB 34) (different meridian categories), Neiguan (PC 6) vs Daling (PC 7) (different tissue types), Zusanli (ST 36) vs Shuidao (ST 28) (different nerve innervations), Guanyuan (CV 4) vs Zhongwan (CV 12) (different nerve innervations), and Zusanli (ST 36) vs Guanyuan (CV 4) (different meridian categories, tissue types and nerve innervations). The electric frequency was 15 Hz. The electric current was under the participant's tolerance without sharp pain; the electroacupuncture was applied for three times with interval, 90 seconds totally. Soreness, numbness, fullness, heaviness, tingling, pressure, dull pain, warmness, coolness and amount of current flow were recorded, and the frequency, intensity and current amount between the paired acupoints were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in frequency of needling sensations between paired points (all P > 0.05). In the 9 electroacupuncture sensations, fullness, numbness and soreness were most commonly seen and obvious, heaviness, pressure and tingling came second, and dull pain, warmness, and coolness occurred at lower frequency. There were differences in the intensity of acupuncture sensation between paired acupoints in part of them, the soreness, fullness and heaviness at Zusanli (ST 36) were stronger than those at Shuidao (ST 28) (all P < 0.05 ); fullness and numbness at Zusanli (ST 36) were stronger than those at Guanyuan (CV 4) (both P < 0.01); fullness at Guanyuan (CV 4) was stronger than that at Zhongwan (CV 12) (P < 0.05 ); the current flow of electroacupuncture was similar between paired acupoints (all P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the situation that there is no obvious difference in amount of current flow caused by electroacu puncture sensation, the obvious correlations between frequency of electroacupuncture sensation and tissue properties of acupoints are not appeared, and the difference of sensation intensity between paired acupoints may be associated with different nerve innervations. The frequency and intensity of electroacupuncture sensation at one acupoint are stable at different times.
authors: Functional Brain Imaging Lab, Department of Radiology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, China.
authors: Xiao-Ling
authors: XL
authors: Wang
authors: Ji-Liang
authors: JL
authors: Fang
authors: Ke-Hua
authors: KH
authors: Zhou
authors: Yin
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Yang
authors: Y
authors: Hong
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Liu
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: Chao
authors: C
authors: Xue
authors: Ting
authors: T
authors: Zhao
authors: Bao-Yan
authors: BY
authors: Liu
authors: Bing
authors: B
authors: Zhu
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000328:Adult; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012677:Sensation; D055815:Young Adult