A Regional Homogeneity Study Of The Brain Responses To Needing The Primary Acupoint Of Gall Bladder Meridian On Subjects In Two Different States

Objective:To observe the brain responses to needling Qiuxu(GB40) on patients of migraine without aura and healthy subjects based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), in order to expore the effects of the primary point on brain function of Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) in different states.Methods:32migraine patients and18healthy subjects’ brain had been scanned using fMRI during needling manipulation in left Qiuxu point. The imaging data were studied utilizing SPM5software, analyzed the ReHo differences during the resting-state and instant acupuncture state between the two groups.Results:1. During the resting-state, the regions of decreased ReHo values in migraines’ cerebrum were more than healthy subjects’, which mainly located in bilateral MCC, insula, putamen, MFG, precentral gyrus; left PH, SFG; right pallidum, MeFG, OFG, IFG, paracentral lobule, etc. Regions with increased ReHo values were in bilateral paracentral lobule, precentral gyrus, ITG, postcentral gyrus, superior parietal lobule, inferior parietal lobule; left MTG, IFG, MFG; occipital, cerebellum, and so on.2. When needing the primary acupoint of Gall Bladder Meridian, compared with healthy subjects, patients with migraine without aura showed a significant increase in ReHo values in PAG, parietal MCC, parietal thalamus, and larger regions with ReHo values decreased located in parietal PFC; besides, healthy subjects showed the significant region with ReHo values increased in left insula.Conclusions:1. There were significant different brain area in ReHo values between migraine without aura and healthy subjects in the resting-state, mainly as follows:insula, PFC, MCC.2. On the premise of the stimulus to be consistent, there were significant discrepancy of brain function when needing the primary acupoint of Gall Bladder Meridian on subjects in two different states:the patients with migraine without aura showed a significant increase in ReHo values mainly in PAG, thalamus, MCC, insula and PFC, and the healthy subjects presented mainly in insula; Compared to the area of ReHo values significant decreased, patients with migraine without aura showed a larger area in PFC.