scholarly journals Skin Impedance Measurements for Acupuncture Research: Development of a Continuous Recording System

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 443-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agatha P. Colbert ◽  
Jinkook Yun ◽  
Adrian Larsen ◽  
Tracy Edinger ◽  
William L. Gregory ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Channel ◽  
Acupuncture Point ◽  
Skin Impedance ◽  
Acupuncture Points ◽  
Control Software ◽  
Design Considerations ◽  
Impedance System ◽  
Acupuncture Research ◽  
Ap Site ◽  
Volar Surface

Skin impedance at acupuncture points (APs) has been used as a diagnostic/therapeutic aid for more than 50 years. Currently, researchers are evaluating the electrophysiologic properties of APs as a possible means of understanding acupuncture's mechanism. To comprehensively assess the diagnostic, therapeutic and mechanistic implications of acupuncture point skin impedance, a device capable of reliably recording impedances from 100 kΩ to 50 MΩ at multiple APs over extended time periods is needed. This article describes design considerations, development and testing of a single channel skin impedance system (hardware, control software and customized electrodes). The system was tested for accuracy against known resistors and capacitors. Two electrodes (the AMI and the ORI) were compared for reliability of recording over 30 min. Two APs (LU 9 and PC 6) and a nearby non-AP site were measured simultaneously in four individuals for 60 min. Our measurement system performed accurately (within 5%) against known resistors (580 kΩ–10 MΩ) and capacitors (10 nF–150 nF). Both the AMI electrode and the modified ORI electrode recorded skin impedance reliably on the volar surface of the forearm (r= 0.87 andr= 0.79, respectively). In four of four volunteers tested, skin impedance at LU 9 was less than at the nearby non-AP site. In three of four volunteers skin impedance was less at PC 6 than at the nearby non-AP site. We conclude that our system is a suitable device upon which we can develop a fully automated multi-channel device capable of recording skin impedance at multiple APs simultaneously over 24 h.

scholarly journals Altered Impedance of Ear Acupuncture Point MT2 in Breast Cancer Patients: A Preliminary Observation

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yine Hu ◽  
Huayuan Yang ◽  
Pin Wang ◽  
Tangyi Liu ◽  
Wenchao Tang
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Acupuncture Point ◽  
Preliminary Observation ◽  
Ear Acupuncture ◽  
Skin Impedance ◽  
Acupuncture Points ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Healthy Individuals ◽  
Healthy Humans

Skin impedance at acupuncture points (APs) has been used as a diagnostic aid for more than 50 years. In this study, we have a diagnostic tool (JXT-2008) to measure the skin impedance of ear APs of 30 breast cancer patients and the corresponding skin impedance of ear APs of 30 healthy humans, and then we compared these changes in ear AP impedance in breast cancer patients and healthy individuals.

An Evaluation of the Cun Measurement System of Acupuncture Point Location

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (05) ◽  
pp. 729-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Shik Yin ◽  
Hi-Joon Park ◽  
Jung-Chul Seo ◽  
Sabina Lim ◽  
Hyeong-Gyun Koh
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Measurement System ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Acupuncture Point ◽  
Acupuncture Points ◽  
Point Location ◽  
Anthropometric Data ◽  
Obese Subjects ◽  
Acupuncture Research ◽  
Asian People

Locating acupuncture points reliably and reproducibly is indispensable for the scientific research of acupuncture and for assuring the best care of patients. Unreliable point location can produce confounding results for acupuncture research and clinical practice. Two traditional methods of point location are currently used, directional (F-cun) and proportional (B-cun) methods, which are collectively called the cun measurement system. Reports have been published on the validity of the cun measurement system in Australian subjects; however, as acupuncture originated in ancient East China, it is possible that anthropometric data may differ in Asian people and other races. Therefore, we measured anthropometric data according to the cun measurement system in contemporary Korean patients. The F-cun measurements were significantly different from the B-cun measurements and varied significantly according to the arbitrarily selected F-cun standard. In addition, we observed further differences of F-cun measurements in the extremities of obese subjects. We concluded that the F-cun method is unreliable and that further research should be conducted to determine a more accurate point-locating method primarily based on the B-cun method.

Characterisation of Human Skin Impedance at Acupuncture Point Pc4 Ximen and pericardium meridian using the four-electrode method

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shima Rezaei ◽  
Ali Khorsand ◽  
Jamshid Jamali
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Acupuncture Point ◽  
Skin Impedance ◽  
Acupuncture Points ◽  
Pericardium Meridian ◽  
Repeated Measures Analysis ◽  
Electrode Method ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
Electrical Skin

Introduction Traditional Chinese medicine offers several theories to explain the mechanism of acupuncture. One of these theories proposes that acupuncture points and meridians have unique electrical properties and their electrical skin impedance is lower than surrounding areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in electrical skin impedance between PC4 and the pericardium meridian compared with the surrounding areas. Methods Eighteen healthy subjects (10 women) were recruited to participate in the study. An impedance meter based on the four-electrode technique was designed specifically for the study. Twenty-five points were marked on the skin: one on the point PC4, four others on the pericardium meridian and 20 points around it. The electrical impedance of each point was measured with the four-electrode device. Results The mean electrical skin impedance at PC4 was significantly different from the 20 of the surrounding points but not significantly different from the four adjacent points. The mean skin impedance of the five points over the pericardium meridian was significantly different from that of parallel rows of points using repeated measures analysis of variance (p<0.001) Conclusion Within the possible limits of this measurement technique, skin impedance along the pericardium meridian is lower than surrounding areas, supporting the idea of different properties of the pericardium meridian compared with the control areas. Evidence on skin impedance at PC4 is inconclusive and further studies are needed.

A Study of the Comparative Accuracy of Two Methods of Locating Acupuncture Points

2000 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Aird ◽  
Meaghan Coyle ◽  
DM Cobbin ◽  
C Zaslawski
Keyword(s):  
Effective Treatment ◽  
Acupuncture Point ◽  
Acupuncture Points ◽  
Point Location ◽  
Essential Component ◽  
Mechanical Methods ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Comparative Accuracy ◽  
Acupuncture Research

The ability to locate an acupuncture point accurately is an essential component of both effective treatment and meaningful acupuncture research. This study examined the comparative accuracy of two commonly used mechanical methods of acupuncture point location: directional and proportional. Twenty final-year acupuncture students attempted to locate the points LI.10 (Shousanli) and ST.40 (Fenglong) using each method contralaterally on a volunteer. Both methods are appropriate for use in the locating of these points. Analysis of the results found no significant difference in accuracy between the two methods for either LI.10 (t=1.05, p=0.31) or ST.40 (t=0.59, p=0.57), both methods being found to be similarly inaccurate. The findings of this study demonstrate the serious limitations of both methods for accurate point location. Implications for acupuncture research and treatment are discussed.

Acupuncture Points of the Typical Spinal Nerves

1985 ◽  
Vol 13 (01n04) ◽  
pp. 39-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.C. Dung
Keyword(s):  
Body Wall ◽  
Acupuncture Point ◽  
The Body ◽  
Acupuncture Points ◽  
Spinal Nerves ◽  
Thoracic And Abdominal

Typical spinal nerves have six cutaneous branches which reach to the skin of the body wall in the thorax and abdomen. Each of these six cutaneous branches correlates to an acupuncture point. This communication describes acupuncture points found in the thoracic and abdominal walls using anatomic nomenclature relating to cutaneous branches of the spinal nerves.

Differential Innervation of Tissues Located at Traditional Acupuncture Points in the Rat Forehead and Face

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 408-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Wang ◽  
Jingjing Cui ◽  
Chen She ◽  
Dongsheng Xu ◽  
Zhiyun Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Acupuncture Point ◽  
Acupuncture Points ◽  
Motor Nucleus ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Trigeminal Motor Nucleus ◽  
Facial Motor Nucleus ◽  
Neural Tracing

Objectives To compare the neural pathways associated with the tissues located at different traditional acupuncture points in the rat forehead and face using the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) neural tracing technique. Methods After injection of CTB into the tissues at GB14, ST2 and ST6 in the rat, the neural labelling associated with each acupuncture point was revealed by fluorescent immunohistochemistry of the nervous system, including the trigeminal ganglion (TRG), cervical dorsal root ganglia (DRG), spinal cord and brain. Results The CTB labelling included sensory neurons and their transganglionic axonal terminals, as well as motor neurons. The labelled sensory neurons associated with GB14, ST2 and ST6 were distributed in both the TRG and cervical DRG, and their centrally projected axons terminated in an orderly fashion at their corresponding targets in the spinal trigeminal nucleus and cervical spinal dorsal horn. In addition, labelled motor neurons were observed in the facial motor nucleus, trigeminal motor nucleus and cervical spinal ventral horn, in which facial motor neurons projected to the tissues located at all three acupuncture points. Trigeminal motor neurons innervated both ST2 and ST6, while spinal motor neurons only correlated with ST6. Conclusions These results indicate that the tissues located at each of these three traditional acupuncture points in the rat forehead and face has its own sensory and motor connection with the nervous system in a region-specific pattern through distinct neural pathways. Understanding the neuroanatomical characteristics of acupuncture points from the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system should help inform acupuncture point selection according to the demands of the clinical situation.

scholarly journals WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabina Lim
Keyword(s):  
Task Force ◽  
Acupuncture Point ◽  
Western Pacific ◽  
Acupuncture Points ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Western Pacific Region ◽  
Great Work ◽  
Team Meetings ◽  
Active Research ◽  
The Western Pacific

‘WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region(WHO Standard) was released in 2008. Initially, there were 92/361 controversial acupuncture points (acupoints). Through seven informal consultations and four task force team meetings, 86 points were agreed upon among the 92 controversial acupoints, leaving 6 remaining controversial acupoints, demanding active research in the future. This will enhance the reproducibility and validity of acupuncture studies. It will also lead to a better understanding of acupuncture mechanisms in order to optimize its clinical efficacy for a range of diseases and syndromes. This book has two parts: General Guidelines for Acupuncture Point Locations and WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations. First of all, familiarity with the General Guidelines for Acupuncture Point Locations in this book can help the reader to understand and use the contents of this book in depth. I would like to thank all of the participating experts and scholars for this great work, who have overcome the limits of previous acupuncture references. I also appreciate the dedicated effort and harmonious leadership of Dr Choi Seung-hoon, former Regional Adviser in Traditional Medicine of Western Pacific Office, WHO.

Study of Acupuncture Point Detection under General and Spinal Anaesthesia

1993 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-34
Author(s):  
Paul Hardy
Keyword(s):  
General Anaesthesia ◽  
Spinal Anaesthesia ◽  
Acupuncture Point ◽  
Acupuncture Points ◽  
Point Detection ◽  
Point Detector

An electrical point detector was used to locate a series of acupuncture points prior to and during both spinal and general anaesthesia. The detection and presence of the points was not influenced by either type of anaesthetic.

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