title: [On feasibility of researching acupoint combination by using complex network analysis techniques].
abstract: One of the fundamental factors for achieving a better clinical efficacy of acupuncture therapy is to compose an appropriate acupoint recipe or a set of acupoint recipes for an illness or a clinical condition. The present article reviews recent development of researches about acupoint combination from the methods of combination style, properties and functions (synergic or antagonistic role) of different acupoints, etc., and holds that "integrity" and "nonlinear" ideas are probably the key factors for composing reasonable acupoint prescriptions. Moreover, with reference to the achievements got in the field of complex network researches of Chinese medicine, the authors discuss the applicability of studies about acupoint combination literature, and biological data integration for acupoint compatibility. The authors point out that the current complex network analysis approach may be an effective measure for understanding the regularities and mechanisms of reasonable combination of acupoints.
authors.affiliation: College of Acu-moxibustion and Tuina, Chengdu University of Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China. qiaofengwu@yahoo.cn
authors.forename: Qiao-Feng
authors.initials: QF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Cheng-Shun
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shu-Guang
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer