[Multidimensional effect of acupuncture bloodletting technique at hand twelve jing-well points on the functions of thalamus and related cortical regions].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the regulatory effect of acupuncture bloodletting technique at hand twelve jing-well points on the thalamus-cortex network function in healthy subjects using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), so as to analyze the underlying neural mechanism for improving brain functions and promoting brain protection based on multi-dimensional brain function indexes.

METHODS: A within-subject controlled design was employed, involving 30 healthy subjects. After rs-fMRI scanning, the subjects received acupuncture bloodletting technique at hand twelve jing-well points, stimulated from the right hands to the left hands, from the thumb to the small finger, sequentially at Shaoshang(LU11),Shangyang (LI1), Zhongchong (PC9), Guanchong (TE1), Shaochong (HT9) and Shaoze (SI1). After intervention completion, the rs-fMRI scanning was operated again. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) with the thalamus as the region of interest, as well as cerebral blood flow (CBF) were analyzed before and after intervention in healthy subjects.

RESULTS: In comparison with the indexes before intervention, ALFF decreased in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, precuneus and thalamus after intervention (P<0.05); and ReHo was reduced in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus and thalamus (P<0.05). In comparison with the indexes before intervention, after intervention, FC of the left thalamus was enhanced with bilateral lingual gyrus, bilateral pericalcarine cortex, left superior occipital gyrus, left fusiform gyrus, bilateral central anterior gyrus, right central sulcus, and bilateral middle temporal gyrus (P<0.05), and it was weakened with the left precuneus (P<0.05); and the enhanced FC of the right thalamus was observed with the bilateral lingual gyrus, bilateral pericalcarine cortex, bilateral middle occipital gyrus, bilateral fusiform gyrus, bilateral superior occipital gyrus, bilateral inferior temporal gyrus, bilateral cuneus, bilateral precentral gyrus, bilateral central sulcus, left superior temporal gyrus, and left inferior frontal triangular gyrus (P<0.05). There was no statistical significance of difference in CBF before and after intervention (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION: Acupuncture bloodletting technique at hand twelve jing-well points may regulate the functional state of the brain by means of inhibiting the excessive activity and abnormal synchronous discharges in the thalamus and higher-order cortical nodes and through reconstructing the functional connection network of the thalamus.