Center of Rehabilitation, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Hand Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Center of Rehabilitation, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China; School of Rehabilitation Science, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
J Clin Neurosci. 2019 Nov;69:250-256. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2019.08.088. Epub 2019 Aug 30.
Electroacupuncture (EA) is an adjuvant therapy for peripheral nerve injury (PNI). Both peripheral and central alterations contribute to the rehabilitation process. We employed diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate the diffusion plasticity of afferent and efferent pathways caused by EA in model of peripheral nerve injury and reparation. Twenty-four rats were divided into three groups: normal group, model group and intervention group. Rats of the model group and the intervention group underwent sciatic nerve transection and anastomosis. EA intervention was performed on the intervention group at ST-36 and GB-30 for three months. Gait assessment and DTI were conducted at days post-operative (DPO) 30, 60 and 90. We selected corticospinal tract, spinothalamic tract and internal capsule as regions of interest and analyzed diffusion metrics including fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD). FA values and RD values displayed significant differences or obvious tendency while AD values maintained a stable level. RD values displayed better indicative performance than FA in internal capsule. The intervention group presented significant correlation between RD values and Regularity Index (RI) during the intervention period. The effect of EA on peripheral nerve injury repairing rats appeared to be accelerated recovery process of sensory and motor neural pathway. We proposed that RD was a potential in vivo indicator for structural plasticity caused by EA and PNI.
电针（EA）是周围神经损伤（PNI）的辅助治疗方法。周围和中枢的改变都有助于康复过程。我们采用弥散张量成像（DTI）来研究 EA 对周围神经损伤和修复模型中传入和传出通路的弥散可塑性。将 24 只大鼠分为三组：正常组、模型组和干预组。模型组和干预组大鼠行坐骨神经切断和吻合术。干预组大鼠在 ST-36 和 GB-30 进行 EA 干预三个月。在术后 30、60 和 90 天进行步态评估和 DTI。我们选择皮质脊髓束、脊髓丘脑束和内囊作为感兴趣区，分析弥散指标，包括各向异性分数（FA）、轴突弥散度（AD）和径向弥散度（RD）。FA 值和 RD 值存在显著差异或明显趋势，而 AD 值保持稳定水平。RD 值在内囊的指示性能优于 FA。干预组在干预期间，RD 值与规则指数（RI）之间存在显著相关性。EA 对周围神经损伤修复大鼠的作用似乎加速了感觉和运动神经通路的恢复过程。我们提出 RD 是 EA 和 PNI 引起的结构可塑性的潜在体内指标。
