Purpose : To evaluate the effects of electroacupuncture on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) at acupoints suggested by oriental medicine to be related to the treatment of cerebrovascuiar diseases.
Materials and Methods : Rest/electroaeupuncture-stimulation Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT using a same-dose subtraction method was performed on 5 normal male volunteers (age range from 27 to 30 years) using electroacupuncture at acupoint, ST 36. In the control study, needle location was chosen on a non-meridian focus 1㎝ posterior to the right fibular head. All images were spatially normalized and the differences between rest and acupuncture stimulation were statistically analyzed using SPM^ⓡ for Windows^ⓡ.
Results : Electroacupuncture applied at ST36 increased rCBF in the left hemisphere, that is, the left parietal lobe(angular gyrus), the left temporal lobe, the left inferior frontal lobe around rectus gyrus and the left cerebellar hemisphere, a part of the left inferior frontal lobe. In the control stimulation, no significant rCBF increase was observed.
Conclusion : The results demonstrate that electroacupuncture increases rCBF in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere.
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