Tag: acupuncture and brain research
Acupuncture, FMRI, and Alzheimer's
Since Acupuncture has longevity as part of its purview, it is not surprising that we’re starting to see more evidence for it’s positive effects on aging. I am not an expert in fMRI, but it has become a “go to” biomarker for acupuncture’s effects. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24603951 full article here PLoS One. 2014 Mar 6;9(3):e91160. doi:…
Read MoreElectroacupuncture at PC5-6 prevents bradycardia in lab
Background paper looking at median nerve mediated cardiac regulation. This has an indirect relationship to HRV and my own interests. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2014 Dec 1;307(11):R1313-23. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00300.2014. Epub 2014 Sep 17. GABA in nucleus tractus solitarius participates in electroacupuncture modulation of cardiopulmonary bradycardia reflex. Tjen-A-Looi SC1, Guo ZL2, Longhurst JC2….
Read MoreElectrical Ear Stim leads to Smaller Infarct Size in Rats
This is of interest since my recent bedside research has been looking at the effects of ear stim on the last 5 minutes of acupuncture treatment. In general, I do see a decrease in LF/HF, or decrease in stress response with ear stim. Bain Stimul. 2015 Jan-Feb;8(1):7-12. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2014.09.009. Epub 2014 Sep 28. Electrical Stimulation…
Read MoreNeurobiological Mechanisms of Acupuncture
A series of articles about the science and neurobiology of acupuncture treatment. The summary is here. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014; 2014: 765068. Published online Nov 27, 2014. doi: 10.1155/2014/765068 PMCID: PMC4265683 Neurobiological Mechanisms of Acupuncture 2014 Lijun Bai, 1 , * Richard E. Harris, 2 Jian Kong, 3 Lixing Lao, 4 , 5 Vitaly Napadow, 6 and Baixiao Zhao 7 Author information ► Article notes ► Copyright and License information ► Acupuncture is currently gaining…
Read MoreAcupuncture 2 Hz and 100 Hz effects on fMRI default mode
This article show different effects of electroacupuncture depending on the frequency used. It also shows that this effect takes 20 minutes to develop. I’m focusing quite a bit on what happens within an individual acupuncture treatment with HRV, and find that usually the autonomic response is going back to baseline at about 15 minutes….
Read MoreAcupuncture and Ischemic Stroke
This article is interesting since it shows the contralateral effect of acupuncture on the brain. Full Article Here PLoS One. 2014 Jun 13;9(6):e96777. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096777. eCollection 2014. Modulatory Effect of Acupuncture at Waiguan (TE5) on the Functional Connectivity of the Central Nervous System of Patients with Ischemic Stroke in the Left Basal Ganglia. Chen J1,…
Read MoreEffect of acupoint catgut-embedding therapy on changes of structure of hippocampal neurons in senile chronic stress rats
This study ambitiously explores catgut-embedding for the havoc wrought by stress on senility. One of Sapolsky’s key findings was that stress causes a feed forward loop on the hippocampus during senility. The altered hippocampus then causes more stress, which then leads to more senility. This is a particular nasty ramification of stress. I am…
Read MoreAcupuncture Mechanisms: Habituation
I love this study. It is suggesting a novel, and reasonable model for acupuncture’s effectiveness over time. Habituation is a topic I know nothing about, indeed, never really thought about except in regards to opiates. This study lays out a working hypothesis using fMRI showing that acupuncture meets the criteria for habituation, and might…
Read MoreAcupuncture Evoked Response in Contralateral Somatosensory Cortex Reflects Peripheral Nerve Pathology of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Study showing how the brain reacts differently to acupuncture in subjects with carpal tunnel disease and healthy controls. Med Acupunct. 2013 Aug;25(4):275-284. Acupuncture Evoked Response in Contralateral Somatosensory Cortex Reflects Peripheral Nerve Pathology of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Maeda Y1, Kettner N2, Lee J3, Kim J4, Cina S4, Malatesta C5, Gerber J4, McManus C5, Im J4,…
Read MoreHRV and Brain Immune Response
Patients receiving ongoing acupuncture treatment repeatedly report a sense of higher “resilience.” What that means, is a sense of being better able to handle stresses that life deals them. This phenomenon is a subtle but very real outcome during acupuncture treatment. This study is part of the background for my approach to studying HRV in…
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