title: Modulatory effects of acupuncture on resting-state networks: a functional MRI study combining independent component analysis and multivariate Granger causality analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate acupuncture specificity by exploring causal relationships of brain networks following acupuncture at GB40 (Qiuxu), with the acupoint KI3 (Taixi) as a control (belonging to the same nerve segment but different meridians).
  
  
  METHODS
  Needling at acupoints GB40 and KI3 was performed in 12 subjects separately. The specific coherent patterns, resting-state networks (RSNs), were retrieved by independent component analysis (ICA) from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of resting state and post-acupuncture resting states, respectively. Then multivariate Granger causality analysis (mGCA) was applied to evaluate the effective connectivity within and among the detected RSNs-default model, memory, executive, auditory, and motor brain networks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Following acupuncture at GB40, the strength of causal connectivity between the superior temporal gyrus (STG) and anterior insula was enhanced, while the connection strength between the STG and postcentral gyrus increased following acupuncture at KI3. Additionally, the causal influences within the auditory network increased following acupuncture at GB40, in comparison with the executive network following acupuncture at KI3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study demonstrates that acupuncture at different acupoints could exert different modulatory effects on RSNs. Our findings may help to understand the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying acupuncture specificity.
authors: Medical Image Processing Group, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors: Chongguang
authors: C
authors: Zhong
authors: Lijun
authors: L
authors: Bai
authors: Ruwei
authors: R
authors: Dai
authors: Ting
authors: T
authors: Xue
authors: Hu
authors: H
authors: Wang
authors: Yuanyuan
authors: Y
authors: Feng
authors: Zhenyu
authors: Z
authors: Liu
authors: Youbo
authors: Y
authors: You
authors: Shangjie
authors: S
authors: Chen
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Tian
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000465:Algorithms; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D015984:Causality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult