As Shang proposed, the mechanism of acupuncture may concern the nervous system, the circulatory system and other physiological systems. Many papers investigate the biological models of acupuncture. Among multiplicity stimulation methods, using low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is the easiest way to design a pure placebo acupuncture experiment in which subjects were not to distinguish placebo acupuncture from verum acupuncture. Inspecting its therapeutic efficacy, Whittaker considers the depth of laser energy transmission the most important determinant. As time has passed, the technology used to stimulate acupuncture points has progressed from stone to metal and more recently to electroacupuncture the most recent technologic development has been the introduction of laser acupuncture, defined as the stimulation of traditional acupuncture points with low-intensity, nonthermal laser irradiation. Studies using fMRI have also investigated how acupuncture modulates well-characterized pain stimuli, nonpain somatosensation, and even resting brain function.

The application of the fMRI technique for acupuncture study has been used since the mid-1990s, and two important types of acupuncture experiments-needle and electrical stimulations-are performed. Functional MRI is an effective tool to observe the human brain's response of acupuncture stimulation. Therefore, fMRI research uses the property of blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) as the method for determining where activities occurred in the brain as the result of various experiences. The magnetic resonance (MR) signal of blood is slightly different depending on the level of oxygenation. Hemoglobin is diamagnetic when oxygenated but paramagnetic when deoxygenated. Functional MRI could show the signal change while the hemoglobin status is changing. įunctional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which can be used to observe the response of the human brain with the advantages of noninvasiveness and nonradiation, has become an important scientific tool, in particular for those senior human cognitive neuropsychological researches that cannot be done on animals. Current researches concerning acupuncture can be classified into three kinds: the first is to revalidate the effect of specific acupuncture points the second is to understand pain processing the third is to modulate the pain with acupuncture. In ancient China, acupuncture is not only a folk therapy, but also incorporates the metaphysical theory of “Qi,” a supposed vital energy that runs through hypothesized channels, called “meridians.” In recent decades, the international community’s related programs and researches have been increasing, resulting in the traditional techniques gradually gaining acceptance worldwide. Even so, after the passing of thousands of years, acupuncture-related treatments are not well developed in Europe. The tattoo locations on the Stone Age body found in the Alps correspond closely with Chinese acupuncture points and furthermore correspond to points used to treat lumbar and leg-joint arthritis and abdominal disorders. However, an archaeological report suggested another origin. IntroductionĪcupuncture, one of the oldest medical treatments, was considered an ancient Chinese method to cure disease and reduce pain. The results showed the cerebral hemodynamic responses of two laser acupuncture stimulation modes and implied that its mechanism was not only based upon afferent sensory information processing, but that it also had the hemodynamic property altered during external stimulation. Most activation areas were involved in the functions of memory, attention, and self-consciousness.

Placebo stimulation did not show any activation. In MW groups, significant activations were found within the primary motor cortex and middle temporal gyrus of left hemisphere and bilateral cuneus. Medial and superior frontal gyrus of left frontal lobe were also aroused. In CW groups, significant activations were found within the inferior parietal lobule, the primary somatosensory cortex, and the precuneus of left parietal lobe. The analysis of multisubjects in this experiment was applied by random-effect (RFX) analysis. There are 12 healthy right-handed volunteers for each type of laser stimulation (10-Hz-Modulated wave: 8 males and 4 females continued wave: 9 males and 3 females). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies were performed to investigate the possible mechanism during laser acupuncture stimulation at the left foot's yongquan (K1) acupoint. The aim of this study is to compare the distinct cerebral activation with continued wave (CW) and 10 Hz-modulated wave (MW) stimulation during low-level laser acupuncture.

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