An fMRI study of senorimotor deficit-related acupoints in stroke patients with persistent motor deficits

Abstract

Our goal is to apply scientific methods to establish the association between central nervous system pathways and sensorimotor deficit-implicated acupoints. We used fMRI to compare activations of motor cortical areas due to a hand grip motor task with those due to electrical stimulation of two sensorimotor-implicated acupoints in stroke patients as well as age-matched controls. 21 stable stroke patients with motor deficits that have lasted for more than six months and 12 healthy subjects participated in the study. Among patients, fMRI data were first collected during a hand grip motor task. Second, fMRI data were collected during the same hand grip task following the insertion of two acupuncture needles into the acupoints LI4 and LI11 without any stimulation. Third, fMRI data were collected during the hand grip task plus electrical acupuncture at 2 Hz. Finally, fMRI data was obtained during electrical acupuncture alone. Among healthy controls, fMRI data was collected only during the hand grip task or electrical acupuncture alone. Activations over motor cortical areas, e.g. primary motor area, supplementary motor areas, premotor areas, prefrontal cortex, as well as sensory cortical areas, e.g. SI, SII, cerebellum, were seen in the control during either task. The same motor and sensory cortical areas were activated to a larger extent during any one of the four tasks in stroke patients. Both the insertion of acupuncture needles and addition of electrical acupuncture enhanced the brain activations over the motor and sensory cortical areas especially the bilateral SII for both the stroke-affected and unaffected hands. Our results show that the benefit of acupuncture may be derived from the ability of acupuncture in activation and/or recruitment of the motor cortex and surrounding areas. Supported by The Jockey Club Foundation