Effect of acupuncture signal after brachial plexus blockade on cerebral blood perfusion and brain cell function

• Published in: Chinese journal of integrative medicine Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 11 - 15
• Main Authors: Yong-gong, Ren, Chang-chun, Guo, Shao-wei, Jia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Jinan University, Guangdong 518020%Shenzhen Hospital, Peking University 01.03.2003
• Subjects: acupuncture; volunteer; brachial plexus anesthesia; single photon emission computed tomography
• ISSN: 1672-0415; 1993-0402
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02836344

R24; Objective: Using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to observe the influence of the up-transmitting of acupuncture signal into the brain in health volunteers whose nerve trunk was blocked by anesthetics. Methods: Thirty-one healthy volunteers were divided into two groups, the control group of 20 cases, and the brachial plexus blockade (BPB) group of 11 cases, with supraclavicular BPB route adopted. With the control group 2 acupoints were randomly selected (Hegu and Quchi of both sides), while with the BPB group Hegu and Quchi of anesthetic arm side were selected. Siemens ECAM/ICON SPECT system was used to conduct brain imaging using double imaging assay before acupuncture and 99mTc-ECD imaging agent during acupuncture for cerebral perfusion. The data were quantitatively analyzed by blood functional changing rate (BFCR%) mathematics model. Results: Before acupuncture, the control and BPB groups showed insignificant change by SPECT, but after electro-acupuncture (EA), the control group displayed improved motor and sensory cortex excitability in basal nuclei, contra-lateral thalamus, parietal and frontal lobe; while BPB group was characterized with reduction of the blood perfusion and cell function of contra-lateral thalamus of anesthetized arm. The difference between the two groups was significant (P<0.01). Conclusion: (1) After BPB, the up-transmitting of the acupuncture signal via upper limb into the brain, and its strength was impaired or blocked; (2) After BPB, the effect of acupuncture on cerebral perfusion and brain cell function of contra-lateral thalamus was impaired or blocked.