The FMTI Study On Treatment Of Chronic Neck Pain By Electroacupuncture At Homotopic And Heterotopic Nerve Segments

ObjectiveUsing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe the different brain activity of acupuncture on homotopic and heterotopic nerve segments.Methods67 chronic neck pain patients with cervical disease were recruited and randomly received 4-week acupuncture treatments at Bailao or Hegu or Zusanli in three groups. The resting-state fMRI data and the clinical measurement (e. g., Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire, NPQ) were collected before- and after-treatment, respectively. ReHo or functional connectivity or brain network approach was applied for fMRI data analysis.ResultsStatistical analysis showed that three acupuncture treatments can reduce the symptoms of patients with cervical neck pain and improve quality of life significantly, but the clinical effect were similar. Acupuncture at Bailao significantly reduce the ReHo of some brain areas, and improve the ACC functional connectivity with many brain areas, which related to the transmission of pain and the endogenous analgesic system. Acupuncture at Hegu only significantly reduce the ACC functional connectivity with some brain areas, which related to the transmission and integration of pain and the high cognition. Acupuncture at Zusanli significantly reduce the ACC functional connectivity with some brain areas, which belong to the default mode network.ConclusionThe changes of brain activity are different while acupuncture on two different points of homotopic nerve segments though the clinical effect is similar. The analgesic mechanism of acupuncture at Bailao may associate with the modulation of endogenous analgesic system. And the analgesic mechanism of acupuncture at Hegu may does not associate with the modulation of endogenous analgesic system. The analgesic mechanism of acupuncture at Zusanli may associate with the modulation of default mode network.