signature=6bec5c9a121db355c0e386f99012a67b,An fMRI study of acupuncture-induced brain activation of ...

Complementary Therapies in Medicine(2011)19S,S49—S59

An fMRI study of acupuncture-induced brain activation of aphasia stroke patients

Geng Li?,Edward S.Yang

Hong Kong Time Medical System and Rejuvenis International Ltd.,Hong Kong Science Park,Shatin,

Hong Kong,China1

Available online23December2010

KEYWORDS

Post-stroke aphasia;

Acupuncture;

fMRI;

Language task

Summary This investigation aims to test the effect of acupuncture on word generation acti-

vation(WGA)in post-stroke aphasia patients.Seven vascular aphasia patients and14control

subjects were studied using functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI).Each performed:(1)

a word generation(WG)task alone,followed by(2)repeating WG after insertion of acupunc-

ture needles(WGN)into SJ8(a language-implicated acupoint),followed by(3)repeating WGN

reinforced by electrical stimulation(WGA)of SJ8,and?nally(4)electrical stimulation(ES)of

SJ8alone.Signi?cant activation was found in the opercular,triangular,or insula during the ES

stimulation in patients when comparing each patient to14normal controls.For the WG task,

signi?cant activation was found in the inferior frontal gyrus when comparing each patient to14

normal controls.The signal induced by acupuncture was larger than that of the WG task in the

left middle frontal gyrus with the comparison of WGA vs.WGN in seven patients.Further,main

signi?cant effects in the right insula in patients were observed when comparing seven patients

to14normal controls.The activation induced by ES stimulation was only found on the left side

in controls.This activation was observed on the lesion side of superior and middle frontal gyrus

(SMFG)in patients.This study demonstrates for the?rst time that language-de?cit-implicated

acupoint stimulation can selectively activate the brain on the lesion side in post-stroke aphasia

patients.These results suggest that acupuncture may have therapeutic bene?ts in post-stroke

aphasia patients.

?2010Elsevier Ltd.All rights reserved.

Spontaneous recovery of language abilities have been

observed in a number of patients within several months

after the onset of vascular aphasia,but the precise

?Corresponding author at:Hong Kong Time Medical System and

Rejuvenis International Ltd.,112-115,1/F,Bio-Informatics Centre,

2Science Park West Avenue,Hong Kong Science Park,Shatin,New

T erritories,Hong Kong,China.T el.:+852********;

fax:+852********.

E-mail addresses:ligenggeng@http://www.doczj.com/doc/f1625826bcd126fff7050bf4.html,gli@http://www.doczj.com/doc/f1625826bcd126fff7050bf4.html(G.Li).

1http://www.doczj.com/doc/f1625826bcd126fff7050bf4.html.

temporal limit of this process is not well established.1

As a result of some studies,aphasia treatment is

believed to be effective in enhancing recovery2—5and to

extend this post-onset temporal limit beyond the sixth

month.2—6However,further improvement of language abil-

ities was very limited beyond6months after the onset of

stroke.1

As a key component of traditional Chinese medicine,

acupuncture has been practised for over3000years.7While

many stroke patients have tried acupuncture to promote

functional recovery,unequivocal evidence of therapeutic

bene?t remains lacking.

0965-2299/$—see front matter?2010Elsevier Ltd.All rights reserved.

doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2010.11.004