Zhang Hao, Liu Qingxia, Yao Menglin, Zhang Zhiling, Chen Xiu, Luo Hua, Ruan Lili, Liu Tianpeng, Chen Yingshuang, Ruan Jianghai
Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
Laboratory of Neurological Diseases and Brain Function, Luzhou, China.
Front Neurosci. 2023 Apr 6;17:1123466. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1123466. eCollection 2023.
Tasks involving mental practice, relying on the cognitive rehearsal of physical motors or other activities, have been reported to have similar patterns of brain activity to overt execution. In this study, we introduced a novel imagination task called, acupuncture imagery and aimed to investigate the neural oscillations during acupuncture imagery.
Healthy volunteers were guided to watch a video of real needling in the left and right KI3 (Taixi point). The subjects were then asked to perform tasks to keep their thoughts in three 1-min states alternately: resting state, needling imagery left KI3, and needling imagery right KI3. Another group experienced real needling in the right KI3. A 31-channel-electroencephalography was synchronously recorded for each subject. Microstate analyses were performed to depict the brain dynamics during these tasks.
Compared to the resting state, both acupuncture needling imagination and real needling in KI3 could introduce significant changes in neural dynamic oscillations. Moreover, the parameters involving microstate A of needling imagery in the right KI3 showed similar changes as real needling in the right KI3.
These results confirm that needling imagination and real needling have similar brain activation patterns. Needling imagery may change brain network activity and play a role in neural regulation. Further studies are needed to explore the effects of acupuncture imagery and the potential application of acupuncture imagery in disease recovery.
据报道，涉及心理练习的任务，即依靠对身体动作或其他活动的认知排练，其大脑活动模式与公开执行时相似。在本研究中，我们引入了一种名为针刺意象的新型想象任务，并旨在研究针刺意象过程中的神经振荡。
引导健康志愿者观看左右肾经3穴（太溪穴）真实针刺的视频。然后要求受试者交替进行任务，使他们的思维保持在三种1分钟的状态：静息状态、左侧肾经3穴针刺意象、右侧肾经3穴针刺意象。另一组在右侧肾经3穴进行真实针刺。为每个受试者同步记录31通道脑电图。进行微状态分析以描绘这些任务期间的脑动力学。
与静息状态相比，针刺意象和右侧肾经3穴的真实针刺均可引起神经动态振荡的显著变化。此外，右侧肾经3穴针刺意象的微状态A相关参数显示出与右侧肾经3穴真实针刺相似的变化。
这些结果证实针刺意象和真实针刺具有相似的脑激活模式。针刺意象可能会改变脑网络活动并在神经调节中发挥作用。需要进一步研究以探索针刺意象的效果以及针刺意象在疾病康复中的潜在应用。
