| Objective: The study was based on healthy adult volunteers with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. Acupuncture point ST36had specific effects ongastrointestinal function. With observing the brain activity effect in cerebral cortices due toacupuncture at point ST36on the effect of different stimulus quantity, the paper clarifiedthe central mechanism for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome treatment, andexplored acupuncture for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome treatmentmethods and optimal stimulation intensity through fMRI.Methods: We studied the areas of the brain due to the different amount ofacupuncture stimulus. In healthy adult human subjects, the stimulus were including fromdifferent stimulus duration (60s and180s), different electroacupuncture frequency (2Hz,10Hz,50Hz,100Hz), manipulating needle or not,the same frequency of electric acupunctureneedle and hand needle and different frequency of transcutaneous electrical acupointstimulation (2Hz,10Hz,50Hz,100Hz).With diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome(D-IBS) patients as the researchobject,the stimulus were including from different electroacupuncture frequency (2Hz and100Hz).Results: In healthy adult human subjects,2Hz EA group activated the most brainregions than other groups. Main active areas of the brain were focused on the primarysomatosensory cortex, primary motor cortex, insula cortex, anterior frontal lateral cortex,anterior cingulate, top lobule, temporal lobe, etc.In D-IBS subjects, D-IBS1group（stimulus duration of180s，2Hz EA）activated themost brain regions than other groups. Main activated brain areas concentrated in theprimary somatosensory cortex, anterior frontal lateral cortex, anterior cingulate, insula, etc.There are differences in the brain areas activated in the same amount of stimulation anddifferent body states. By comparison with2Hz EA group and D-IBS1group, the brainareas activated by D-IBS1group were more focused on the reaction zone ofdiarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome in the brain.Conclusion:1. Different amount of stimulation can produce different acupuncture effect fromcentral mechanisms.2. This study suggested:The combination that1mA current intensity,2Hz stimulationfrequency and180s stimulus duration activated the largest number of brain regions. Thisacupuncture combination may be the best treatment methods and intensity ofdiarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.3. Brain regions activated by this combination that1mA current intensity,2Hzstimulation frequency,180s stimulus duration overlapped the reaction zone ofdiarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome in the brain.4. The central nervous system of acupuncture for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowelsyndrome may be related to the primary somatosensory cortex, lateral prefrontal cortex,anterior cingulate cortex, insular cortex of the brain. |
