Study Excerpt
Study Demonstrates How the Brain Responds to Acupuncture
A small July 2018 study investigated how the brain responds to acupuncture treatment. An article regarding the study “Cerebral activation effects of acupuncture at Yanglinquan (GB34) point acquired using resting-state fMRI” appeared in the publication Computerized Medical Imaging & Graphics.
The MRI showed that extensive areas of the brain were stimulated by the acupuncture, including areas responsible for cognition, motor functions, and the limbic system. Some areas of the brain showed increased activity and some showed reduced activity. The control group, which did not receive acupuncture didn’t show these changes in brain activity.
The researchers concluded that the central mechanism of acupuncture at the GB34 point is a result of all the changes and interactions between the brain’s regions. Read Full Article
Source: Liu, L., Chen, S., Zeng, D., Li, H., Shi, C., & Zhang, L. (2018). Cerebral activation effects of acupuncture at Yanglinquan(GB34) point acquired using resting-state fMRI. Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics, 67, 55-58. doi:10.1016/j.compmedimag.2018.04.004 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29800886