Application of fMRI techniques in the study of acupuncture for gynecological diseases: A review

Abstract

Acupuncture therapy, as a characteristic of Chinese medical therapy, has a long history and remarkable effect in the treatment of gynecological diseases, and so far, it has formed a complete treatment system, but its efficacy and mechanism of action remain unclear. Functional magnetic resonance imaging, a visual technique, provides an objective basis for the study of acupuncture in the treatment of gynecological diseases. This paper summarizes the current status of acupuncture in the treatment of gynecological diseases and summarizes the progress of functional magnetic resonance imaging research related to acupuncture in the treatment of gynecological diseases in the past 10 years, mainly including the common types of gynecological diseases in acupuncture clinics, and the commonly used acupuncture points. This study is expected to provide literature support for subsequent research on the central mechanisms of acupuncture in the treatment of gynecological diseases.

Intelligent Acupuncture: Data-driven Revolution of Traditional Chinese Medicine

“…During acupuncture treatment, imaging techniques can be employed to track the patients’ physiological responses and deqi sensations such as electroencephalogram (EEG) [80] , functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) [81] , and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) [82] . Recently, a combination of AI and imaging technologies has been used to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture.…”

“…The brain response to acupuncture stimulation can be investigated using fMRI to determine the differences in brain activity between verum and sham acupuncture [92] . fMRI is an innovative modality for evaluating brain activity elicited by acupuncture [82] . This technique contributes to the study of the functional connectivity network in the brain during acupuncture stimulation while also enabling the quantification of the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment [93] .…”