Background:Acupuncture has become an important alternative clinical treatment for Parkinson’s disease(PD),but its efficacy and the underlying mechanisms remain debatable.Using a newly developed magnetic resonance ang...Background:Acupuncture has become an important alternative clinical treatment for Parkinson’s disease(PD),but its efficacy and the underlying mechanisms remain debatable.Using a newly developed magnetic resonance angiography(MRA)method that has higher sensitivity for smaller and distal vessels and a novel tool that can trace vessels and extract vascular features,the immediate effects of acupuncture on intracranial vessels and blood flow in patients with PD as well as correlations with clinical outcomes were quantitatively evaluated.Methods:Fifteen PD patients received acupuncture at the Dazhui and Fengchi acupoint positions.MRA was performed before and after 30 min of treatment.The cerebral blood flow(CBF)and the length,volume,diameter,and signal intensity of the intracranial internal carotid artery(ICA)and middle cerebral artery(MCA)were measured.The Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale partⅢ(UPDRS-Ⅲ)and Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)were used to evaluate the motor symptoms and the subjective feelings of discomfort.Results:Acupuncture significantly reduced UPDRS-Ⅲand VAS scores.No significant changes were noted in the overall CBF before and after treatment.However,there was a significant extension effect on the length of the intracranial ICA and MCA and the distal MCA,and a significant increase in the number of branches of the MCA was found.Although acupuncture tended to increase the total volume of the intracranial ICA and the volume of the MCA,no statistical significance was reached.The total intensity was not altered,but the intensity and diameter of the M1 segment were significantly increased,whereas the intensity of the MCA was decreased.A positive correlation between M1 intensity changes and UPDRS-Ⅲchanges was found.Conclusions:Angiographic evaluation suggested that acupuncture had a significant effect on intracranial blood vessels,which is one possible mechanism for acupuncture improving the motor symptoms of PD.展开更多
Parkinson’s disease(PD)is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder commonly observed in middle-aged and elderly.Currently,its etiology and pathogenesis are still not completely understood.It is associated with many s...Parkinson’s disease(PD)is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder commonly observed in middle-aged and elderly.Currently,its etiology and pathogenesis are still not completely understood.It is associated with many symptoms that severely affect patients’health and quality of life.At present,the PD clinical treatment mainly aimed to alleviate symptoms,and both medicinal and surgical treatments have side effects and treatment blind spots.The use of acupuncture for the treatment of PD is relatively widespread,and its safety and efficacy have been gradually accepted by the public and medical professions.However,the efficacy of acupuncture in experimental studies remains controversial.Therefore,this paper reviews imaging studies on the use of acupuncture for the treatment of PD.From the study,it shows that acupuncture can improve the neuronal activity,activate the neuronal activity in damaged brain regions,affect relevant neural networks and brain circulation,improve cerebral metabolism,and cause structural changes in related brain regions.Intuitive and visible imaging studies provide objective bases on the use of acupuncture for the treatment of PD.展开更多
文摘Background:Acupuncture has become an important alternative clinical treatment for Parkinson’s disease(PD),but its efficacy and the underlying mechanisms remain debatable.Using a newly developed magnetic resonance angiography(MRA)method that has higher sensitivity for smaller and distal vessels and a novel tool that can trace vessels and extract vascular features,the immediate effects of acupuncture on intracranial vessels and blood flow in patients with PD as well as correlations with clinical outcomes were quantitatively evaluated.Methods:Fifteen PD patients received acupuncture at the Dazhui and Fengchi acupoint positions.MRA was performed before and after 30 min of treatment.The cerebral blood flow(CBF)and the length,volume,diameter,and signal intensity of the intracranial internal carotid artery(ICA)and middle cerebral artery(MCA)were measured.The Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale partⅢ(UPDRS-Ⅲ)and Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)were used to evaluate the motor symptoms and the subjective feelings of discomfort.Results:Acupuncture significantly reduced UPDRS-Ⅲand VAS scores.No significant changes were noted in the overall CBF before and after treatment.However,there was a significant extension effect on the length of the intracranial ICA and MCA and the distal MCA,and a significant increase in the number of branches of the MCA was found.Although acupuncture tended to increase the total volume of the intracranial ICA and the volume of the MCA,no statistical significance was reached.The total intensity was not altered,but the intensity and diameter of the M1 segment were significantly increased,whereas the intensity of the MCA was decreased.A positive correlation between M1 intensity changes and UPDRS-Ⅲchanges was found.Conclusions:Angiographic evaluation suggested that acupuncture had a significant effect on intracranial blood vessels,which is one possible mechanism for acupuncture improving the motor symptoms of PD.
文摘Parkinson’s disease(PD)is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder commonly observed in middle-aged and elderly.Currently,its etiology and pathogenesis are still not completely understood.It is associated with many symptoms that severely affect patients’health and quality of life.At present,the PD clinical treatment mainly aimed to alleviate symptoms,and both medicinal and surgical treatments have side effects and treatment blind spots.The use of acupuncture for the treatment of PD is relatively widespread,and its safety and efficacy have been gradually accepted by the public and medical professions.However,the efficacy of acupuncture in experimental studies remains controversial.Therefore,this paper reviews imaging studies on the use of acupuncture for the treatment of PD.From the study,it shows that acupuncture can improve the neuronal activity,activate the neuronal activity in damaged brain regions,affect relevant neural networks and brain circulation,improve cerebral metabolism,and cause structural changes in related brain regions.Intuitive and visible imaging studies provide objective bases on the use of acupuncture for the treatment of PD.
