A Study Based On FMRI On The Central Mechanism Of Specific Correlation Between Hegu Point And The Orofacial Part

Object: Based on fMRI, this study aims to probe into the central mechanisms of thespecific correlation between Hegu point and the orofacial part. In the study twoways----transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation and electric acupuncture----areemployed to stimulate Hegu point, Jiache point, Zhongzhu point, Zusanli point and Shamacupoint in the hands.Methods:1. Twenty-four healthy young volunteers are chosen and randomly dividedinto Hegu point Group, Jiache point Group and Sham acupoint Group. All the subjects inthe same group received transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on thespecific acupoint. In the meantime, the technique of fMRI are used to collect and analyzethe functional imaging data, determine corresponding cerebral activation for the acupointand compare the data among the three groups.2. Twenty-four healthy young volunteers are chosen and randomly divided into Hegupoint Group, Zhongzhu point Group and Zusanli point Group. All the subjects in the samegroup received electric acupuncture (EA) on the specific acupoint. In the meantime, thetechnique of fMRI are used to collect and analyze the functional imaging data, determinecorresponding cerebral activation for the acupoint and compare the data among the threegroups.Results:1. When Hegu Point and Jiache Point are stimulated respectively by TEAS,we find many active regions of the two acupoints are overlapping and adjoining locating infrontal lobe, temporal lobe, inferior parietal lobule, such as inferior frontal gyrus, superiortemporal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus and insular lobe et al.2.After comparing the results in the active regions of Hegu Point and Sham acupoint,We find few activation is induced When sham acupoint is stimulated by TEAS and there is a significant difference between them according to the results of fMRI. More intensivescale and greater intensity of activations are induced when Hegu point is simulated byTEAS.3. The two ways of stimulating Hegu point all activated some encephalic region, suchas inferior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus et al. And thereexist a wide-range of overlapping and adjoining, which suggests the responses are the samewhen Hegu point is stimulated by TEAS or EA.4. Although stimulating Zhongzhu point can activate the same regions stimulated bystimulating both Hegu point and Jiache point, the scale and the intensity are much weaker.The regions which are able to be activated by stimulating Zhongzhu point exist mainly insuperior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus and inferior temporal gyrus, in themeanwhile the auditory association cortex and the primary association cortex are alsoactivated. Stimulating Zusanli point can extensively and intensively activate some regionsin frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe and occipital lobe, but there is no specificcorelation between Zusanli point and the orofacial part.Conclusions: There exists the specific correlation between Hegu point and theorofacial part. Compared with Zhongzhu point which is of the same segment and theZusanli point which also belongs to the Yangming Channel, Hegu point is more relevant tothe orofacial part. Inferior frontal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus are the correspondingeffective sites in treating orofacial diseases through stimulating Hegu point and Jiachepoint.