HRV in Healthy Volunteers: Auricular acupuncture

This is one of the abstracts from the SAR showing that with auricular acupuncture, sympathetic activity was more affected than parasympathetic.   It’s difficult to comment on this since I’m a bit unclear what points in the ear they used.

ANALYSES OF THE IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF AURICULOTHERAPY IN THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

Sandra Silvério-Lopes, IBRATE; Rodrigo Jimenez Negrão, IBRATE; Regiane Albertini Carvalho, UFPR; Lirane Carneiro

Suliano

Background:

Acupuncture has been investigated under

neurophysiological by the modern science. However little re-

search in this context in its microsystems such as aur-

iculotherapy. There are points with recommendations of

possible calming effects and other revitalizing consecrated by

more practical experience than based on scientific research.

Objective:

Assess the immediate influence on the autonomic

nervous system (ANS) by stimulating with auricular acupunc-

ture by heart rate variability (HRV).

Methodology:

A total of 11 healthy subjects, male 18–28

years (mean 23.36

–

3.10) initially forming a auriculotherapy

placebo group (ATPG) and after a week called auricular test

group (ATG). It was stimulated with semi-permanent needles

1.5mm headset points, shem men and sympathetic in GAT and

the control was the eye’s point in the ATPG for having no

relations with the ANS. During 15 minutes, in a single session

The search consisted of three phases: rest, intervention and

recovery, with specific times. The signals were collected by the

heart rate monitor Polar S810i

and analyzed by Continuous

Wavelet Transform (TWC). Results: In the ATG was an in-

crease in the predominance of the sympathetic nervous system

and a decrease in parasympathetic demonstrated changes in

SNA by observing statistically significant differences between

the phases of the protocol. In ATGP there was no statistically

significant results between phases of collection of signals.

Conclusion:

The ear acupuncture stimulated with semi-per-

manent needles 1.5mm in points shem men and sympathetic

was able to cause changes in the SNA, with a predominance of

the sympathetic nervous system.