“面口合谷收”神经生理机制的fMRI研究

The neurophysiological mechanism of traditional chinese medical theory of "Link of Hegu(LI4)with the face and mouth":a functional MRI study

目的:利用功能性磁共振(fMRI)探讨"面口合谷收"的神经生理机制。方法:研究对象为20例健康志愿者,均针刺左侧合谷穴,采用相同的磁共振扫描序列采集针刺任务态fMRI数据。利用AFNI程序分析任务态fMRI的针刺脑激活区,对所有的功能数据进行组分析,并利用Monte Carlo方法对分析结果进行多重比较校正(P=0.05,α<0.05)。结果:针刺左侧合谷穴引起多个脑区激活,信号增高区域包括右侧中央前回、中央后回、顶下小叶、颞横回、岛叶、丘脑、豆状核、壳核及双侧小脑;信号降低的脑区包括左侧额上回、额中回、中央前回、扣带回、颞中回等。其中,右侧中央后回中下部大面积区域均显示激活。结论:研究结果表明,针刺合谷穴能同时激活中央后回初级感觉皮层的手部投射区和面口部投射区,同时激活了面口部的运动皮层,直接反映了合谷穴和面口部的密切联系,为"面口合谷收"理论提供了客观的证据。

Objective： To explore the neurophysioIogical mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medical Theory of ＂Link of Hegu （LI4）with the face and mouth＂ with the methodology of fMRI. Methods： Twenty healthy volunteers were acupunctured at left Hegu point（LI4）and task-state fMRI data was acquired with the same sequence of acquisition. All fMRI data was analysis with AFNI program. Group analysis was done and the analysis results was corrected with Monte Carlo method（ P ：0.05, adO. 05）. Results：Multiple activativations were demonstrated. Increased signal was found in precentral gyrus,posterior central gyrus,infe- rior parietal lobule, transverse temporal gyrus, insular cortex, thalamus, lenticular nucleus, putamen, bilateral cerebellum, while decreased signal was in left superior frontal gyrus, frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, cingulate gyrus, middle temporal gy- rus. Among the activations, both the middle and lower part of right posterior central gyrus was activated. Conclusion： It was demonstrated that somatotopic area of both hand and face in primary somatic sensory cortex was activated by acupuncture of Hegu（LI4）,which directly illustrated the link of Hegu（LI4）with the face and mouth and was the possible neurophysiological mechanism of the traditional chinese medical theory.