Regulated aberrant amygdala functional connectivity in premenstrual syndrome via electro-acupuncture stimulation at sanyinjiao acupoint（SP6）

Abstract

Background: Acupuncture is an effective therapy for premenstrual syndrome (PMS). However, the mechanisms behind this method are still unclear. Our previous study found that aberrant amygdala resting-state functional networks were involved in PMS. Thereby, a deep investigation on the alterations of amygdala resting-state functional networks induced by acupuncture stimulation might contribute to a better understanding of the intricate mechanisms of acupuncture treatment on PMS.

Methods: Twenty three PMS patients were recruited in this study. All patients received a 6-minute electro-acupuncture stimulation (EAS) at Sanyinjiao acupoint (SP6) and underwent two 6-minute resting-state fMRI scannings before and after EAS. With amygdala as the seed region, functional connectivity (FC) method was adopted to examine EAS-related modulation of intrinsic connectivity in PMS patients by comparing pre-EAS.

Results: The results showed that EAS at SP6 induced increased FC between the left amygdala and brainstem, right hippocampus, and decreased FC between the left amygdala and left thalamus, bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA). Moreover, the results also showed that EAS at SP6 induced increased FC between the right amygdala and brainstem, right hippocampus, right orbitofrontal cortex, bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and decreased FC between the right amygdala and right SMA.

Conclusions: Based on the results of our previous study, our findings might improve our understanding of neural mechanisms behind acupuncture effects on PMS.

摘要

背景：针灸是治疗经前综合征（PMS）的有效方法。然而, 这种方法背后的机制仍不清楚。我们先前的研究发现, 异常的杏仁核静息状态功能网络参与了PMS的发生。因此, 深入研究针灸刺激对杏仁核静息状态功能网络的影响, 有助于更好地理解针针灸治疗PMS的复杂机制。

方法：本研究共纳入23例PMS患者。所有患者均在三阴交穴位接受6min的电针刺激（EAS）, 并在EAS前后进行两次6min的静息状态fMRI扫描。以杏仁核为种子区, 采用功能连通性（FC）方法检测PMS患者EAS相关的内在连通性调节。

结果：结果表明, 电针刺激SP6可增加左侧杏仁核与脑干、右侧海马体之间的FC, 降低左侧杏仁核与左侧丘脑、双侧辅助运动区（SMA）之间的FC。此外, 电针刺激SP6还引起右侧杏仁核与脑干、右侧海马体、右侧眶额皮质、双侧前扣带回皮质（ACC）之间的FC增加, 而右侧杏仁核与右侧SMA之间的FC降低。

结论：基于我们之前的研究结果, 我们的发现可能会提高我们理解针灸对PMS影响背后的神经机制。

Keywords:

• Acupuncture
• Sanyinjiao acupoint
• resting-state fMRI
• functional connectivity
• premenstrual syndrome

Acknowledgments

Thank you to each of the subjects who participated in the study of this project.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant No. 82060315, 81960570, 81760886, 81771918] and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi [Grant No. 2017GXNSFBA198095, 2016GXNSFAA380086]

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