Neuroimaging in the Understanding of Acupuncture Analgesia: A Review of Acupuncture Neuroimaging Study Based on Experimental Pain Models

With the development of real-time and visualized neuroimaging techniques, the studies on the central mechanism of acupuncture analgesia gain increasing attention. The experimental pain models have been widely used in acupuncture-analgesia neuroimaging studies with quantitative and controlled advantages. This review aimed to analyze the study design and main findings of acupuncture neuroimaging studies to provide reference for future study. The original studies were collected and screened in English databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library) and Chinese databases (Chinese Nation Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, the Chongqing VIP Database, and Wanfang Database). As a result, a total of 27 articles were included. Heat stimulation and electroacupuncture were the mostly used pain modeling method and acupuncture modality, respectively. The neuroimaging scanning process can be divided into two models and five subtypes. The anterior cingulate cortex and insula were the most commonly reported brain regions involved in acupuncture analgesia with experimental pain models.

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Manual Acupuncture for Optic Atrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2019/1735967 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fang-Yuan Zhi ◽

Jie Liu ◽

Xiao-Peng Ma ◽

Jue Hong ◽

Ji Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Optic Atrophy ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Biomedical Literature ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Controlled Clinical Trial ◽

Manual Acupuncture ◽

Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Clinical Trials Registry

Objectives. This systematic review aims to critically evaluate the efficacy of manual acupuncture for optic atrophy. Eight English and Chinese databases, including Cochrane Library, EMbase, PubMed, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), as well as ongoing trials registered with the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, were searched to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) studying manual acupuncture for optic atrophy compared to medication alone. The quality of evidence was assessed using Cochrane Collaboration’s risk of bias tool. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager version 5.3. Nine studies were identified and included for meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed significant differences in favor of manual acupuncture or manual acupuncture plus medication compared with medication alone in the following outcome measures: visual acuity (MD = 0.18, 95% CI [0.17, 0.20], P < 0.00001), mean sensitivity of visual field (MD = 2.11, 95% CI [1.90, 2.32], P < 0.00001), the latent period of P-VEP100 (MD = -6.80, 95% CI [-8.94, -4.66], P < 0.00001), the total effectiveness (264 eyes) (OR = 3.22, 95% CI [1.88, 5.51], P<0.0001), and the total effectiveness (344 participants) (OR = 4.29, 95% CI [2.56, 7.19], P < 0.00001). Despite statistical advantages of manual acupuncture in the literature, due to serious methodological flaws in study design, it cannot be concluded that manual acupuncture is more effective than medicine alone. It is essential that a properly controlled clinical trial is designed and controls are established to exclude placebo effects.

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Acupuncture for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2020/6972327 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Liaoyao Wang ◽

Jia Xu ◽

Yijun Zhan ◽

Jian Pei

Keyword(s):

Subgroup Analysis ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Biomedical Literature ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

China National Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Obstructive Sleep ◽

Clinically Significant

Objective. Our aim was to assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for OSA patients with various severities of the disorder. Methods. Eight databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chongqing VIP (CQVIP), Wanfang Data, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) were comprehensively searched till July 2019. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing acupuncture in the treatment of OSA were eligible for inclusion. Studies were selected for inclusion, and data were extracted by two authors independently. The Cochrane Collaboration’s Risk of Bias Assessment Tool and RevMan software (version 5.3) were used to evaluate the quality of studies and conduct statistical analysis. Results. Nine RCTs with 584 participants were included. The trials covered acupuncture and electropuncture. Acupuncture caused clinically significant reductions in AHI (MD: -6.18; 95% CI: -9.58 to -2.78; Z=3.56, P=0.0004) as well as in ESS (MD: -2.84; 95% CI: -4.80 to -0.16, Z=2.09, P=0.04). AHI was reduced more in the subgroup analysis of moderate OSA patients (MD: -9.44; 95% CI: -12.44 to -6.45; Z=6.18, P<0.00001) and severe OSA patients (MD: -10.09; 95% CI: -12.47 to -7.71; Z=8.31, P<0.00001). ESS was also reduced more in the subgroup analysis of moderate OSA patients (MD: -2.40; 95% CI: -3.63 to -1.17; Z=3.83, P=0.0001) and severe OSA patients (MD: -4.64; 95% CI: -5.35 to -3.92; Z=12.72, P<0.00001). Besides, acupuncture had a beneficial effect on LSaO2 (MD: 5.29; 95% CI: 2.61 to 7.97; Z=3.86, P=0.0001). The outcome of AHI and LSaO2 yielded consistent results after sensitivity analysis, but the direction of the outcome of ESS was reversed. And the quality of evidence was mainly low to very low. Conclusions. Acupuncture therapy is effective for OSA patients in reducing AHI and ESS and in improving the LSaO2 of various severities, especially in moderate and severe OSA patients. High-quality trials are urgently needed.

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Effectiveness and Safety of Plum - Blossom Needle in the Treatment of Myopia：A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-73070/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Siyuan Zhu ◽

Jun Xiong ◽

Jun Chen ◽

Genhua Tang ◽

Lunbin Lu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Scientific Journal ◽

Biomedical Literature ◽

Systematic Evaluation ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

China National Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Myopia Progression ◽

Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

The Cochrane Library

Abstract Background: In recent years, the prevalence of myopia has increased significantly, and it has become one of the major eye diseases that cause visual impairment in the world,which is particularly prominent among young people. And uncorrected myopia is the leading cause of blindness.The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of plum-blossom needle in delaying adolescent myopia progression through systematic evaluation.Methods and analysis:The following electronic databases will be searched from inception to July 2020 regardless of publication status and language: Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biology Medicine (CBM), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), Wanfang Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBLD), Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (CSTPD). RCT registration websites, including http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov and http://www.chictr.org.cn, will also be searched. Review Manager V.5.4 will be used to analysis the statistic. Two reviewers will independently select studies, extract and code the data, assess risk of bias of the included studies, evaluate the quality of evidence for outcomes.Discussion:So far, many studies have been conducted on the treatment of adolescent myopia with plum-blossom needles. However, there is still no clear conclusion on the effectiveness and safety of plum-blossom needles in the treatment of juvenile myopia.In this systematic review and meta-analysis, available data will be pooled together to further inform research and clinical practice.Systematic review registration: Inplasy protocol 202080026

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A cognitive neurobiological account of deception: evidence from functional neuroimaging

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2004.1555 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 359 (1451) ◽

pp. 1755-1762 ◽

Cited By ~ 174

Author(s):

S. Zeki ◽

O. R. Goodenough ◽

Sean A. Spence ◽

Mike D. Hunter ◽

Tom F. D. Farrow ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Neuroimaging ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Developmental Trajectory ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Human Cognition ◽

Forensic Practice ◽

Tactical Deception ◽

Detection Of Deception ◽

Experimental Protocols ◽

Neuroimaging Techniques

An organism may use misinformation, knowingly (through deception) or unknowingly (as in the case of camouflage), to gain advantage in a competitive environment. From an evolutionary perspective, greater tactical deception occurs among primates closer to humans, with larger neocortices. In humans, the onset of deceptive behaviours in childhood exhibits a developmental trajectory, which may be regarded as ‘normal’ in the majority and deficient among a minority with certain neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. autism). In the human adult, deception and lying exhibit features consistent with their use of ‘higher’ or ‘executive’ brain systems. Accurate detection of deception in humans may be of particular importance in forensic practice, while an understanding of its cognitive neurobiology may have implications for models of ‘theory of mind’ and social cognition, and societal notions of responsibility, guilt and mitigation. In recent years, functional neuroimaging techniques (especially functional magnetic resonance imaging) have been used to study deception. Though few in number, and using very different experimental protocols, studies published in the peer-reviewed literature exhibit certain consistencies. Attempted deception is associated with activation of executive brain regions (particularly prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices), while truthful responding has not been shown to be associated with any areas of increased activation (relative to deception). Hence, truthful responding may comprise a relative ‘baseline’ in human cognition and communication. The subject who lies may necessarily engage ‘higher’ brain centres, consistent with a purpose or intention (to deceive). While the principle of executive control during deception remains plausible, its precise anatomy awaits elucidation.

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A Narrative Review of Neuroimaging Studies in Acupuncture for Migraine

Pain Research and Management ◽

10.1155/2021/9460695 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Peihong Ma ◽

Xiaohui Dong ◽

Yuzhu Qu ◽

Zhaoxuan He ◽

Tao Yin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Complementary Therapy ◽

Sham Acupuncture ◽

Biomedical Literature ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Future Research ◽

Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Pain Pathway ◽

Medial Pain ◽

Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Lateral Pain

Acupuncture has been widely used as an alternative and complementary therapy for migraine. With the development of neuroimaging techniques, the central mechanism of acupuncture for migraine has gained increasing attention. This review aimed to analyze the study design and main findings of neuroimaging studies of acupuncture for migraine to provide the reference for future research. The original studies were collected and screened in three English databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) and four Chinese databases (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature database, the Chongqing VIP database, and Wanfang database). As a result, a total of 28 articles were included. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was the most used neuroimaging technique to explore the cerebral activities of acupuncture for migraine. This review manifested that acupuncture could elicit cerebral responses on patients with migraine, different from sham acupuncture. The results indicated that the pain systems, including the medial pain pathway, lateral pain pathway, and descending pain modulatory system, participated in the modulation of the cerebral activities of migraine by acupuncture.

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Is Yangxue Qingnao Granule Combined with Antihypertensive Drugs, a New Integrative Medicine Therapy, More Effective Than Antihypertensive Therapy Alone in Treating Essential Hypertension?

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2013/540613 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Jie Wang ◽

Xiaochen Yang ◽

Bo Feng ◽

Weidong Qian ◽

Zhuyuan Fang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Essential Hypertension ◽

Integrative Medicine ◽

Antihypertensive Drugs ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Scientific Journal ◽

Potential Effect ◽

Biomedical Literature ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

The Cochrane Library

Background. Yangxue Qingnao granule (YQG) combined with antihypertensive drugs, a new integrative medicine therapy, has been widely used for essential hypertension (EH) in China. This study aims to assess the current clinical evidence of YQG combined with antihypertensive drugs for EH.Methods. Randomized controlled trials(RCTs) published between 1996 and 2012 on YQG combined with antihypertensive drugs versus antihypertensive drugs in treating EH were retrieved from six major electronic databases, including The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and Wanfang Data. Meta-analysis was performed on the overall effects on blood pressure.Results. Twelve randomized trials were included. Methodological quality of the trials was evaluated as generally low. Meta-analysis showed that YQG combined with antihypertensive drugs demonstrated potential effect for lowing either SBP (MD: −7.31 [−11.75, −2.87];P=0.001) or DBP (MD: −5.21 [−8.19, −2.24];P=0.0006) compared to antihypertensive drugs alone.Conclusions. It indicated that YQG combined with antihypertensive drugs is more effective than antihypertensive drugs alone in treating EH. However, more RCTs of larger scale, multicentre/country, longer follow-up periods, and higher quality are required to verify the efficacy of integrative medicine therapy over all antihypertensive therapies.

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Acupuncture for chronic cancer-related pain: a systematic review and network meta-analysis protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039087 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. e039087

Author(s):

Jiao Yang ◽

Guixing Xu ◽

Zihan Yin ◽

Ying Cheng ◽

Sheng Ming Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Evaluation System ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Primary Tumour ◽

Biomedical Literature ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Efficacy And Safety ◽

Assessment Development ◽

Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Ethical Approval ◽

Registration Number

IntroductionChronic cancer-related pain is one of the most common excruciating symptom that can be caused by the cancer (by the primary tumour or by metastases) or by its treatment (surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy). Although multiple clinical trials and systematic reviews have suggested that acupuncture could be effective in treating chronic cancer-related pain, the comparative efficacy and safety of these acupuncture methods remains unclear. We, therefore, performed this study to evaluate and rank the efficacy and safety of different acupuncture methods for chronic cancer-related pain.Methods and analysisSeven databases will be searched, including Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, the Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) from their inception to March 2020. The primary outcome is the change of pain intensity. Bayesian network meta-analysis will be conducted using software R3.5.1. Finally, we will use the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation System (GRADE) to assess the quality of evidence.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required for literature-based studies. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020165747

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The value of glycosylated hemoglobin in the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy: a systematic review and Meta-analysis

BMC Endocrine Disorders ◽

10.1186/s12902-021-00737-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Bo Zhang ◽

Bingjie Zhang ◽

Zhulin Zhou ◽

Yutong Guo ◽

Dan Wang

Keyword(s):

Diabetic Retinopathy ◽

Likelihood Ratio ◽

Roc Curve ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Glycosylated Hemoglobin ◽

Positive Likelihood Ratio ◽

Negative Likelihood Ratio ◽

Biomedical Literature ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Clinical Value

AbstractObjectiveGlycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) has obvious clinical value in the diagnosis of diabetes, but the conclusions on the diagnostic value of diabetic retinopathy (DR) are not consistent. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the accuracy of glycosylated hemoglobin in the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy through the meta-analysis of diagnostic tests.MethodsCochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Wanfang Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) were searched until November, 2020. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (+LR), negative likelihood ratio (-LR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were calculated by Stata 15.0 software.ResultsAfter screening, 18 high-quality papers were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that the combined DOR = 18.19 (95% CI: 10.99–30.11), the sensitivity= 0.81 (95% CI): 0.75 ~ 0.87), specificity = 0.81 (95%CI: 0.72 ~ 0.87), +LR = 4.2 (95%CI: 2.95 ~ 6.00), −LR = 0.23 (95%CI: 0.17 ~ 0.31), and the area under the Summary ROC curve was 0.88 (95%CI: 0.85 ~ 0.90).ConclusionThe overall accuracy of HbA1cC forin diagnosing diabetic retinopathy is good. As it is more stable than blood sugar and is not affected by meals, it may be a suitable indicator for diabetic retinopathy.

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Effect of somatometric parameters on the prevalence and severity of varicocele: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology ◽

10.1186/s12958-021-00695-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Runqing Li ◽

Junjie Liu ◽

Yushan Li ◽

Quanxian Wang

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

China National Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Random Effects Models ◽

Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Regression Test ◽

Mean Differences ◽

Q Statistic ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Background Published studies have shown contradictory results regarding the relationship between somatometric parameters and varicoceles. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the possible effects of age, height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) on the presence and severity of varicoceles. Methods Databases including EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science, and Google Scholar were systematically searched to identify relevant articles published up to March 2020. Two researchers independently identified eligible articles and extracted data. Cochran’s Q statistic and I2 statistics were used to assess heterogeneity. Meta-analysis was performed using StataSE 12.0 software (StataCorp LP, USA). Random-effects models were used to obtain the weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Publication bias was assessed using Begg’s funnel plot and Egger’s regression test. Results The search strategy produced 272 articles, of which 18 articles were eligible according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria. A total of 56,325 patients with varicocele and 1,334,694 patients without varicocele were included in the meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of somatometric parameters on the presence and severity of varicocele. The overall results demonstrated that the presence of varicoceles was significantly associated with height (WMD = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.07 to 1.74, P < 0.001) and inversely correlated with BMI (WMD = − 1.35, 95% CI = -1.67 to − 1.03, P < 0.001) but not with age (WMD = -0.93, 95% CI = -2.19 to 0.33, P = 0.149) or weight (WMD = 0.24, 95% CI = -2.24 to 2.72, P = 0.850). The severity of varicocele was inversely correlated with increased BMI but not with age. Conclusion The presence of varicoceles was significantly associated with height and inversely correlated with BMI.

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Peripheral arterial stiffness during electrocutaneous stimulation is positively correlated with pain-related brain activity and subjective pain intensity: an fMRI study

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-83833-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Toshio Tsuji ◽

Fumiya Arikuni ◽

Takafumi Sasaoka ◽

Shin Suyama ◽

Takashi Akiyoshi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arterial Stiffness ◽

Pain Intensity ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Anterior Cingulate ◽

Electrocutaneous Stimulation ◽

Pain Matrix ◽

Fmri Study ◽

Subjective Pain ◽

Peripheral Arterial

AbstractBrain activity associated with pain perception has been revealed by numerous PET and fMRI studies over the past few decades. These findings helped to establish the concept of the pain matrix, which is the distributed brain networks that demonstrate pain-specific cortical activities. We previously found that peripheral arterial stiffness $${\beta }_{\text{art}}$$ β art responds to pain intensity, which is estimated from electrocardiography, continuous sphygmomanometer, and photo-plethysmography. However, it remains unclear whether and to what extent $${\beta }_{\text{art}}$$ β art aligns with pain matrix brain activity. In this fMRI study, 22 participants received different intensities of pain stimuli. We identified brain regions in which the blood oxygen level-dependent signal covaried with $${\beta }_{\text{art}}$$ β art using parametric modulation analysis. Among the identified brain regions, the lateral and medial prefrontal cortex and ventral and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex were consistent with the pain matrix. We found moderate correlations between the average activities in these regions and $${\beta }_{\text{art}}$$ β art (r = 0.47, p < 0.001). $${\beta }_{\text{art}}$$ β art was also significantly correlated with self-reported pain intensity (r = 0.44, p < 0.001) and applied pain intensity (r = 0.43, p < 0.001). Our results indicate that $${\beta }_{\text{art}}$$ β art is positively correlated with pain-related brain activity and subjective pain intensity. This study may thus represent a basis for adopting peripheral arterial stiffness as an objective pain evaluation metric.

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