The Plasticity Of Motor Cortex By Acpuncturing In Patients With Unilateral Peripheral Facial Paralysis

Objective"Relationship between orafacial areas and Hegu acupoints "contains the essence of the theory of acupuncture and moxibustion on clinical application. In this current study,we use transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS) to observe the possible changes in the organization of the motor cortex in patient with peripheral facial paralysis (PFP) by acupuncturing. Meanwhile, to investigate the biological mechanisms of "Relationship between orafacial areas and Hegu acupoints ", which in pathologic status, and search for scientific evidences for the theory of selecting acupoints according the transmission route of meridianMethods7 patients, which with PFP and from the Guangdong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.participated in this study and treated with regular acupuncture and medicine. To observe the effect of acupuncture on the organization of the motor cortex, we studied patients before and after the treatment by using TMS, and recorded the the motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from the first dorsal interosseus and the perioral muscle. Meanwhile, evaluating the facial nerve by electromyogram (EMG), House Brackmann (1985) Scale, and Symptom Evaluation Table.ResultsThe results of electromyogram (EMG), House Brackmann (1985) Scale, and Symptom Evaluation Table indicate the symptom of PFP improved. It’s significant that the hand representation area MEPs showed a tendency of decreased in the mean amplitude and latency, however.increased in the sizes of hand representation area. Prior of the treatment, there are definite areas of the hand and facial motor representation area (Figure 3), however, the area of hand motor representation expanded and the hand-face overlap area appeard after the treatment (Figure 4).ConelusionIt’s effective to acupuncture in patients with PFP. There was a cortical reorganization in the motor cortex, which showed that the area of hand motor representation enlarged and expanded to the facial motor representation. The cortical reorganization between the hand and facial representation area maybe the biological mechanisms of "Relationship between orafacial areas and Hegu acupoints".