Background and Objetive : Acupuncture is a valuable method of oriental medicine with broad application in many disease. It is based on the experiences of traditional oriental medicine as well as on experimentally proven biological (biochemical and neurophysiological) effects. Acupuncture theory has been explained by the meridian system that is thought to be linked with particular organs. However, in western medicine it is held that many disorders are either controlled or affected by the brain.
Material and Method : In order to review the studies concerned with the mechanism related brain, we have referred to the Pubmed site and the Journal of Korean acupuncture and moxibustion
Result and Conculsion : Among the 12 studies in the Journal of Korean acupuncture and moxibustion, 8 papers related neurotransmitters were done by experimental study, 4 papers related brain mapping were done by clinical study. Among the 8 studies related brain mapping in the Pubmed site, 6 clinical studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) were done and I clinical study using single-photon emission computed tomography(SPECT) was done, I paper was review article.
By the above result, it would be needed further research on the acupuncture mechanism related brain using SPECT, fMRI, positron emission tomography(PET) etc.
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