| Objective: Acupuncture is an important part of traditional chinese medicine，it hasadvantages of wide adaptation, obvious effects, convenient operation, security andeconomy. The specifical effect of acupoints is one of the cores of acupuncture, theacupoints of Zusanli and Shenmen belong to different channels, the effects of those twoacupoints are clear and have been used in clinic widely. Numerous studies reportedacupuncture can regulate and improve cognitive function. But there was no reportsabout Zusanli and Shenmen on attention networks. So, the purposes of this study are: toinvestigate the behavioural and electrophysiological effects of acupuncture at Zusanliand Shenmen to three attention networks.Methods: The first study selected30healthy subjects, acupoints selected bilateralZusanli acupoints. This experiment was divided into three blocks: beforeacupuncture(Baseline), acupuncure at non-acupoint(Non-acupoint), and acupuncture atZusanli(Zusanli). During each block, all participants were administered the same ANTtask. To exclude the interference of Non-acupoint and Zusanli from baseline block, eachexperiment started with baseline block as the first block. Then, all of them werereadministered the ANT immediately after Non-acupoint or after Zusanli. Lastly, all ofthem were readministered the ANT immediately after Zusanli or after Non-acupoint.The sequences of Non-acupoint and Zusanli were counterbalanced across allparticipants. There was a5min rest period after each ANT, the manipulation time ofNon-acupoint or Zusanli was10min. In study two,30healthy subjects were selected,acupoints selected bilateral Shenmen acupoints. The experimental procedure wasidentical with the study one. To analysis the results of three times of attention networks,and to compare the results of Zusanli and Shenmen. Study three selected30healthysubjects, acupoints selected Zusanli, using event related potential technique to investigate the brain wave of Baseline, Non-acupoint and Zusanli. The experimentalprocedure was identical with study one.Results: The study one findings:(1) the alerting network: There was a significant maineffect of the three conditions on the alerting network tasks (F (2,87)=9.200, P <0.001).Our results show that participants were significantly more vigilant after Non-acupointand Zusanli than Baseline condition (SNK, P <0.05), and the comparison betweenZusanli and Non-acupoint showed a significant difference (SNK, P <0.05).(2) theorienting network: there were no significant differences among three conditions on theorienting network (F(2,87)=2.398, P>0.05).(3) the executive control network: Therewas a significant main effect of three conditions on the executive control network tasks(F(2,87)=8.811, P <0.01). Participants had less difficulties in resolving conflict afterNon-acupoint and Zusanli than Baseline (SNK, P <0.05), and the comparison betweenZusanli and Non-acupoint showed no significant difference (SNK, P>0.05).(4) theoverall mean RTs: There also was a significant main effect of three conditions on theoverall mean RTs effect (F(2,87)=23.238, P <0.01). Participants take significantlyless time to finish the test after Non-acupoint and Zusanli than Baseline (SNK, P <0.05). and the comparison between Zusanli and Non-acupoint showed no significantdifference (SNK, P>0.05).(5) accuracy: there was no significant difference observedin response accuracy among three conditions (F (2,87)=0.811, P>0.05).The study two findings:(1) the alerting network: There was a significant maineffect of the three conditions on the alerting network tasks (F (2,87)=8.835, P <0.001).Results show that participants were significantly more vigilant after Non-acupoint andShenmen than Baseline (SNK, P <0.05), and the comparison between Shenmen andNon-acupoint showed a significant difference (SNK, P <0.05).(2) the orientingnetwork: There was a significant main effect of three conditions on the orientingnetwork tasks (F(2,87)=4.419, P <0.05). There was a significant difference after Shenmen than Baseline condition and Non–acupoint (SNK, P <0.05), and thecomparison between Non–acupoint and Baseline showed no significant difference(SNK,P>0.05).(3) the executive control network: There was a significant main effect ofthree conditions on the executive control network tasks (F(2,87)=6.577, P <0.01).There was a significant difference after Shenmen and Non–acupoint than Baseline(SNK, P <0.05), and the comparison between Shenmen and Non–acupoint showed nosignificant difference (SNK, P>0.05).(4) the overall mean RTs: There also was asignificant main effect of three conditions on the overall mean RTs effect(F(2,87)=8.370, P <0.01). There was a significant difference after Shenmen and Non–acupointthan Baseline (SNK, P <0.05). and the comparison between Shenmen and Non–acupoint showed a significant difference (SNK, P <0.05).(5) accuracy: there was nosignificant difference observed in response accuracy among three conditions (F (2,87)=0.638, P>0.05).The study three findings:(1) the alerting network: on PZ: there was a significantmain effect of doublecue of the three conditions on the alerting network tasks (F (2,87)=4.539, P <0.05); there was a significant difference of doublecue after Zusanli thanBaseline and Non–acupoint (SNK, P <0.05), and the comparison of doublecue betweenNon–acupoint and Baseline showed no significant difference (SNK, P>0.05); therewere no significant differences of nocue among three conditions on the alerting networktasks (F(2,87)=1.359, P>0.05).(2) the orienting network: on PZ: there were nosignificant differences of centercue among three conditions on the orienting networktasks (F(2,87)=0.786, P>0.05); there were no significant differences of spatialcueamong three conditions on the orienting network tasks (F(2,87)=0.325, P>0.05).(3)the executive control network: on CZ: there was a significant main effect of incongruentof three conditions on the executive control network tasks (F(2,87)=4.083, P <0.01).;there was a significant difference after Zusanli than Non–acupoint and Baseline (SNK,P <0.05), and the comparison between Non–acupoint and Baseline showed no significant difference (SNK, P>0.05); there was no significant difference of congruentamong three conditions on the executive control network tasks (F(2,87)=0.751, P>0.05).Conclusion:(1) The alerting network and executive control network can be improvedselectively by acupuncture at Zusanli and Non-acupoint, there was no impact onorienting network; the effects of Zusanli and Non–acupoint were different.(2) Therewere general effects of acupuncture at Shenmen acupoint, that is to say, the alertingnetwork, the orienting network and executive control network all can be improved byacupuncture at Shenmen; the effects of Shenmen and Zusanli were different.(3) ERPresults confirmed that the alerting network and executive control network can beimproved selectively by acupuncture at Zusanli, but no impact on orienting network, itis consistent with behavioural results, confirmed the effects of acupuncture fromneuroelectrophysiology. |
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