Electro-acupuncture For Treatment Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Using Regional Homogeneity

Objective:To explore the changes of the regional homogeneity of brain activity in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)by puncturing at the acupoints on the involved meridian.Methods:Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed in10PTSD patients (PTSD group) and12healthy volunteers (normal control group).Each patient received electric acupuncture for12weeks.The regional homogeneity (ReHo) values of resting-state brain activity in all the subjects were calculated by software. One and two sample t-test was used to observe the changes of the ReHo values between the two groups.Results:Compared to the before treatment, increased ReHo was found in PTSD patients in the right middle frontal gyrus. right cerebellum, left occipital gyrus, left precuneus. left central back;and decreased ReHo was found in the left superior temporal gyrus. left cingulate gyrus. left fusiform gyrus. right dorsal lateral gyrus and so on.(p<0.05. corrected).Conclusion:The changes, of the regional homogeneity of brain activity in patients Abnormal local bruin actix ity night exist in PTSD patients after the treatment of acupuncture.The central mechanism may be correlated with the specific brain areas.