ORIGINAL ARTICLES Effect of Acupuncture Signal after Brachial Plexus Blockade on Cerebral Blood Perfusion and Brain Cell Function

摘要

Objective:Using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)to observe the influence of the up-transmitting of acupuncture signal into the brain in health volunteers whose nerve trunk was blocked by anesthetics.Methods:Thirty-one healthy volunteers were divided into two groups,the control group of 20 cases,and the brachial plexus blockade(BPB)group of 11cases,with supraclavicular BPB route adopted.With the control group 2 acupoints were randomly selected(Hegu and Quchi of both sides),while with the BPB group Hegu and Quchi of anesthetic arm side were selected.Siemens ECAM/ICON SPECT system was used to conduct brain imaging using double imaging assay before acupuncture and 99m Tc-ECD imaging agent during acupuncture for cerebral perfusion.The data were quantitatively ana-lyzed by blood functional changing rate (BFCR%) mathematics model.Results:Before acupuncture,the control and BPB groups showed insignificant change by SPECT, but after electro-acupuncture(EA),the control group displayed improved motor and sensory cortex excitability in basal nuclei,contra-lateral thal-amus,parietal and frontal lobe; while BPB group was characterized with reduction of the blood perfusion and cell function of contra-lateral thalamus of anesthetized arm.The difference between the two groups was significant(P<0.01).Conclusion:(1)After BPB,the up-transmitting of the acupuncture signal viaupper limb into the brain,and its strength was impaired or blocked; (2)After BPB, the effect of acupunc-ture on cerebral perfusion and brain cell function of contra-lateral thalamus was impaired or blocked.