Acupuncture at Waiguan(SJ5) and sham points influences activation of functional brain areas of ischemic stroke patients: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Most studies addressing the specificity of meridians and acupuncture points have focused mainly on the different neural effects of acupuncture at different points in healthy individuals. This study examined the effects of acupuncture on brain function in a pathological context. Sixteen patients with ischemic stroke were randomly assigned to true point group （true acupuncture at right Waiguan （SJ5）） and sham point group （sham acupuncture）. Results of functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed activation in right parietal lobe （Brodmann areas 7 and 19）, the right temporal lobe （Brodmann area 39）, the right limbic lobe （Brodmann area 23） and bilateral oc-cipital lobes （Brodmann area 18）. Furthermore, inhibition of bilateral frontal lobes （Brodmann area 4, 6, and 45）, right parietal lobe （Brodmann areas 1 and 5） and left temporal lobe （Brodmann area 21 ） were observed in the true point group. Activation in the precuneus of right parietal lobe （Brodmann area 7） and inhibition of the left superior frontal gyrus （Brodmann area 10） was observed in the sham group. Compared with sham acupuncture, acupuncture at Waiguan in stroke patients inhibited Brodmann area 5 on the healthy side. Results indicated that the altered specificity of sensation-associated cortex （Brodmann area 5） is possibly associated with a central mechanism of acupuncture at Waiguan for stroke patients.

Brain activation and inhibition after acupuncture at Taichong and Taixi: resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging

Acupuncture can induce changes in the brain. However, the majority of studies to date have focused on a single acupoint at a time. In the present study, we observed activity changes in the brains of healthy volunteers before and after acupuncture atTaichong （LR3） andTaixi （KI3） using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Fifteen healthy volunteers underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain 15 minutes before acupuncture, then received acupuncture atTaichong andTaixi using the nail-pressing needle insertion method, after which the needle was retained in place for 30 minutes. Fifteen minutes after withdrawal of the needle, the volunteers underwent a further session of resting-state functional magnetic res-onance imaging, which revealed that the amplitude of low-frequency lfuctuation, a measure of spontaneous neuronal activity, increased mainly in the cerebral occipital lobe and middle occipital gyrus （Brodmann area 18/19）, inferior occipital gyrus （Brodmann area 18） and cuneus （Brodmann area 18）, but decreased mainly in the gyrus rectus of the frontal lobe （Brodmann area 11）, inferi-or frontal gyrus （Brodmann area 44） and the center of the posterior lobe of the cerebellum. The present ifndings indicate that acupuncture atTaichong andTaixi speciifcally promote blood lfow and activation in the brain areas related to vision, emotion and cognition, and inhibit brain areas related to emotion, attention, phonological and semantic processing, and memory.

Acupuncture for ischemic stroke:cerebellar activation may be a central mechanism following Deqi

The needling sensation of Deqi during acupuncture is a key factor of influencing acupuncture outcome.Recent studies have mainly focused on the brain function effects of Deqi in a physiological state.Functional magnetic resonance imaging（f MRI）on the effects of acupuncture at Waiguan（SJ5）in pathological and physiological states is controversial.In this study,12 patients with ischemic stroke received acupuncture at Waiguan（SJ5）and simultaneously underwent f MRI scanning of the brain,with imaging data of the activated areas obtained.Based on the patient＇s sensation,imaging data were allocated to either the Deqi group or non-Deqi group.In the Deqi group,the activated/deactivated areas were the left superior temporal gyrus（BA39）/right anterior lobe of the cerebellum and left thalamus.In the non-Deqi group,the activated areas included the medial frontal gyrus of the right frontal lobe（BA11）,right limbic lobe（BA30,35）,and left frontal lobe（BA47）,while the only deactivated area was the right parietal lobe（BA40）.Compared with the non-Deqi group,the Deqi group exhibited marked activation of the right anterior lobe of the cerebellum and right limbic lobe（BA30）.These findings confirm that the clinical effect of Deqi during acupuncture is based on brain functional changes.Cerebellar activation may be one of the central mechanisms of acupuncture in the treatment of ischemic stroke.

PET脑视功能区自动提取的研究

目的建立自动提取脑部功能区的方法。 方法通过非线性的空间变换将PET图像经过图像配准和图像形变两个步骤,归一化到Talairach坐标系,根据图谱中脑功能区的坐标,在3D图像中提取相应的功能区;为验证功能区提取的有效性,对志愿者带眼罩和不带眼罩各14例,加光刺激,提取视区并染色,计算经小脑归一化后的平均密度值。 结果两组视区平均密度值显著性差异(P<0.001);视区位置符合解剖学定义。 结论自动提取功能区的方法是有效的。

脑深部电刺激治疗难治性抑郁症的靶点研究进展

近年来诸多研究表明深部脑电刺激(deep brain stimulation,DBS)对难治性抑郁症具有一定疗效,但个体最佳刺激靶点选择尚缺乏一致标准。临床研究已证实和尝试的DBS靶点中,胼胝体扣带回、腹侧内囊/腹侧纹状体、伏隔核研究相对成熟,其抗抑郁效果较明确且相对安全,内侧前脑束靶点具有一定潜力,丘脑下脚、外侧缰核和终纹床核等靶点多为小样本病例报告,缺乏重复性研究支持。因难治性抑郁症异质性大,且DBS为有创治疗,目前研究存在一定挑战。而结合临床特点和生物学标识的个体化、精准化刺激靶点是未来值得研究的方向。

视觉正常人简单图形视觉刺激的视皮层功能定位及定量研究

目的利用功能磁共振成像的方法定位、定量研究视觉正常人简单图形视觉刺激时的视皮层反应模式,为视皮层假体的刺激位置和强度提供参考。方法对3名视觉正常成年志愿者进行圆环形棋盘格视觉任务的功能磁共振成像实验,同一任务对每位志愿者重复3次,以SPM2脑功能专业分析软件包作后期处理,显示视皮层反应模式。结果3名受试者均较好完成视觉任务,平均体素反应总数为5217.3±1110.6。反应最强点坐标x值为(-4.3±8.7)mm,y值为(-83.3±3.7)mm,z值为(-4.0±4.7)mm。平均最大反应强度为15.99±1.58,最大反应脑区为双侧的Brodmann 18区即初级视皮层V2区,解剖上的舌回附近。结论利用功能磁共振成像的方法可以定位、定量的研究视皮层反应模式,这些反应模式信息可以为视皮层假体的刺激位置、强度等参数提供参考。

A Global Multiregional Proteomic Map of the Human Cerebral Cortex

The Brodmann area(BA)-based map is one of the most widely used cortical maps for studies of human brain functions and in clinical practice;however,the molecular architecture of BAs remains unknown.The present study provided a global multiregional proteomic map of the human cerebral cortex by analyzing 29 BAs.These 29 BAs were grouped into 6 clusters based on similarities in proteomic patterns:the motor and sensory cluster,vision cluster,auditory and Broca’s area cluster,Wernicke’s area cluster,cingulate cortex cluster,and heterogeneous function cluster.We identified 474 cluster-specific and 134 BA-specific signature proteins whose functions are closely associated with specialized functions and disease vulnerability of the corresponding cluster or BA.The findings of the present study could provide explanations for the functional connections between the anterior cingulate cortex and sensorimotor cortex and for anxiety-related function in the sensorimotor cortex.The brain transcriptome and proteome comparison indicates that they both could reflect the function of cerebral cortex,but show different characteristics.These proteomic data are publicly available at the Human Brain Proteome Atlas(www.brain-omics.com).Our results may enhance our understanding of the molecular basis of brain functions and provide an important resource to support human brain research.

基于事件前瞻记忆脑神经机制的功能磁共振成像研究

目的应用功能磁共振成像（fMRI）技术探讨前瞻记忆（PM）的脑区激活及神经机制。方法共有15名健康志愿者人组，以基于事件前瞻记忆（双任务范式，包括进行中任务和前瞻记忆任务）作为刺激任务，应用GRE—EPI序列采集血氧水平依赖性（BOLD）fMRI信号。应用SPM8软件对图像数据进行预处理和统计分析。结果（1）相对于对照任务，进行中任务主要激活双侧前额叶额极（x，y，z=6／-2，54／42，-8／-12，t=3．71），右侧的体感联合区（x，y，z=14，-62，64，t=4．64）、颞上回（x，y，z=42，-46，16，t=3．95）及旁中央小叶（x，y，z=10，-22，76，t=4．01），差异具有统计学意义俨〈0．01）。（2）前瞻记忆任务主要激活双侧前额叶额极（x，y，z=-2／6，42／54，-12／-12，t=3．28）及旁中央小叶（x，y，z=-30／10，-22／-22，72／76，t=4．25），左侧中央后回（x，y，z=-38，-46，64，t=3．13）及枕叶（x，y，z=-30，-70，0，t=3．97），差异具有统计学意义（P〈0．01）。结论前额叶额极（布罗德曼10区，BA10区）是前瞻记忆的关键激活脑区，BA10区内侧可能参与对外部线索的监控，支持前瞻记忆的BAIO门控假说。