Effects of the acupoints PC 6 Neiguan and LR 3 Taichong on cerebral blood flow in normal subjects and in migraine patients

Abstract

Acupuncture has been proven to be effective in the treatment of various cardiovascular disorders; it acts both on the peripheral flow and on the cerebral flow. Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of the insertion of PC 6 Neiguan and LR 3 Taichong acupoints on the cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the middle cerebral artery (MCA). These effects were measured in a group of patients suffering from migraine without aura (Group M) and in a healthy control group (Group C). In the study, we included 16 patients suffering from migraine without aura, classified according to the criteria of the International Headache Society, and 14 healthy subjects as a control group. The subjects took part in the study on two different days, and on each day, the effect of a single acupoint was evaluated. Transcranial Doppler was used to measure the blood flow velocity (BFV) in the MCA. Our study showed that the stimulation of PC 6 Neiguan in both groups results in a significant and longlasting reduction in the average BFV in the MCA. After pricking LR 3 Taichong, instead, the average BFV undergoes a very sudden and marked increase; subsequently, it decreases and tends to stabilize at a slightly higher level compared with the baseline, recorded before needle insertion. Our data seem to suggest that these two acupoints have very different effects on CBF. The insertion of PC 6 Neiguan probably triggers a vasodilation in MCA, while the pricking of LR 3 Taichong determines a rapid and marked vasoconstriction.

Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation as an adjunct therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A randomized controlled study

“…2009). Neuroimaging studies have shown that acupuncture stimulation on this acupoint can modulate a wide range of cortical and limbic brain region activity (Chang et al, 2009;Quirico et al, 2014;Yoo et al, 2004;. Constant-current electrical impulses produced from a battery-driven TEAS apparatus (NDK, Osaka, Japan) were delivered on bilateral acupoints via two adhesive electrode pads placed on the acupoint skin (Fig.…”

Interictal Hyperperfusion in the Higher Visual Cortex in Patients With Episodic Migraine

“…2,5 The lack of specificity in migraine diagnosis arises, in part, because diagnostic markers related to neurobiological mechanisms are lacking. 15 Hemodynamic changes during migraine, indexed by alterations in regional cerebral blood flow (CBF), have been described using both non-invasive 5,[15][16][17] and invasive [18][19][20][21][22][23] imaging techniques, such as PET. 7,8 In analogy, the gate control theory of pain, 9,10 focused on chronic pain, postulated that neural gates in the spinal cord can be opened (or closed) by signals descending from the brain, as well as by sensory information ascending from the body.…”

Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for post‐traumatic stress disorder: Assessor‐blinded, randomized controlled study

“…Nei‐Guan (PC6) is also one of the most commonly used point for TEAS treatment of psychiatric disorders . Neuroimaging has shown that acupuncture stimulation on this acupoint can modulate a wide range of cortical and limbic brain region activity . Constant‐current electrical impulses produced from a battery‐driven TEAS apparatus (Shenzhen Ryan Medical Device, Shenzhen, China; model code, SNH‐138; power supply, DC9V(006P); product standard code, YZB/Guangdong 0138–2003) were delivered on bilateral acupoints via two adhesive electrode pads placed on the acupoint skin.…”