Investigation of the delayed neuronal effects of acupuncture manipulations.

I’m posting this article because it may corroborate my finding with autonomic response to acupuncture needle placement, so I want to put it somewhere where I can find it again…

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

The aim of this study was to investigate the delayed neuronal effects of acupuncture manipulations by observing blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal intensities.

SUBJECTS:

Fifteen (15) healthy, acupuncture-naive, right-handed subjects (all males; mean age, 23 years; range, 21-24 years) participated in this study.

DESIGN AND INTERVENTIONS:

Each subject was scanned in eight sessions that consisted of two repeated baseline scans (Period 1), two repeated scans with acupuncture stimulation at right LR2 (Period 2), two repeated scans with retention (Period 3), and two repeated scans after removal of the needle (Period 4)…
CONCLUSIONS:BOLD signals were persistently elevated for at least 8 minutes after removal of the acupuncture needle or for at least 19 minutes after rotation of an acupuncture needle in some specific brain areas previously linked with LR2. In those specific brain ROIs, neuronal activation accompanying and following acupuncture showed both prompt and delayed effects.