Comparative study of the specificities of needling acupoints DU20, DU26 and HT7 in intervening vascular dementia in different areas in the brain on the basis of scale assessment and cerebral functional imaging.

Objective: Using methods of clinical scale assessment and cerebral functional imaging to compare the relative specificity of needling acupoints Baihui (DU20), Shuigou (DU26) and Shenmen (HT7) in intervening vascular dementia (VD) in different areas in the brain.

Methods: Fifty patients with VD were randomized into 5 groups. Needling on conventionally used acupoints of hand and foot three Yang-meridians aiming at hemiplegia was applied to the patients in Group A, and needling on DU20 to Group B, on DU26 to Group C, on HT7 to Group D and on all the three to Group E was applied additionally.

[Effect of electro-scalp acupuncture on cerebral dopamine transporter in the striatum area of the patient of Parkinson's disease by means of single photon emission computer tomography].

Objective: To probe the mechanism of electro-scalp acupuncture in treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) by single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT).

Methods: Five cases of PD received electro-scalp acupuncture at Dingnie Qianxiexian (MS 6), Epangxian III (MS 4), Dingpangxian I (MS 8), Dingpangxian II (MS 9) and Zhenxia Pangxian (MS 14). Contralateral points were selected for pathologic change on one side and bilateral points were selected for pathologic lesion on both sides.

[Effects of needling in Baihui (DU20), Shuigou (DU26) and Shenmen (HT7) on glucose metabolism in the lentiform nucleus in patients with vascular dementia].

Objective: To observe the effect of needling in Baihui (DU20), Shuigou (DU26) and Shenmen (HT7) on glucose metabolism in the lentiform nucleus in patients with vascular dementia.

Methods: Ten patients with vascular dementia were randomized equally into control group to receive the treatment of needling in the routine acupoints for hemiplegia (chosen from 6 Yang meridians of hand and foot) and treatment group with needling in 3 additional acupoints of Baihui (DU20), Shuigou (DU26) and Shenmen (HT7) for dementia. All the patients were examined by positron emission tomography (PET) to detect glucose metabolism in the bilateral lentiform nuclei before and after treatment.

[Effect of scalp acupuncture on glucose metabolism in brain of patients with depression].

Objective: To observe the effect of scalp acupuncture (SA) on the glucose metabolism in different regions of brain in patients with depression by positron emission computed tomography (PET).

Methods: Twelve depressive patients were treated by scalp acupuncture on middle line of vertex (MS5), middle line of forehead (MS1) and bilateral lateral line 1 of forehead (MS2), once a day for six days per week, and received PET detection on different region of brain before and after 6 weeks acupuncture treatment. Semiquantitative analysis was used to compare the average values of radioactive count gotten from various brain regions before and after treatment, which could reflect the condition of glucose metabolism at the brain region detected.