Acute effects of acupuncture treatment with GV20 on functional connectivity in patients with PSCI

Poster No:

2041 

Submission Type:

Abstract Submission 

Authors:

Xiaolin Chen1, Jia Fan2, Wenhui Mao1, Wenlong Gu1, Xianggang Meng1, Haipeng Ban1, Yuzheng Du1, Lili Zhang1

Institutions:

1First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, Tianjin, 2University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Western Cape

First Author:

Xiaolin Chen  
First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Tianjin, Tianjin

Co-Author(s):

Jia Fan  
University of Cape Town
Cape Town, Western Cape
Wenhui Mao  
First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Tianjin, Tianjin
Wenlong Gu  
First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Tianjin, Tianjin
Xianggang Meng  
First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Tianjin, Tianjin
Haipeng Ban  
First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Tianjin, Tianjin
Yuzheng Du  
First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Tianjin, Tianjin
Lili Zhang  
First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Tianjin, Tianjin

Introduction:

Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) associates with adverse effects, including physical disability, sleep disruption, depression, personality changes, and other neuropsychological alterations, collectively contributing to a diminished quality of life [1]. Approximately 44% of individuals experience global cognitive impairment 2 to 6 months post-stroke [2]. Acupuncture may have a distinct capability to directly enhance cognition-related brain regions and regulate areas associated with phonological, semantic, and attention functions [3]. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows us to study the brain regions that are temporally correlated during subject not performing any task, which is crucial for validating the efficacy of acupuncture treatment [4]. Therefore, the aim of the study was to estimate the immediate effect of Baihui (GV20) acupoint on resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) in patients with PSCI.

Methods:

Right-handed participants were recruited from the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, including 24 patients with PSCI (mean±sd age: 59.3±6.9 yr, 5 females) and 20 health controls (mean±sd age: 60.7±6.6 yr, 5 females). Two sets of rs-fMRI data were performed on a 3T Skyra Scanner (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) using a gradient echo EPI sequence (TR=2000 ms, TE=30 ms, flip angle=90˚, FOV=220 mm, voxel size 3.4×3.4×3.0 mm3) pre- and post-acupuncture treatment with GV20. A set of high resolution T1-weighted structural images were acquired using an MPRAGE sequence (TR=2000 ms, TE=1.97 ms, flip angle=8˚, FOV=256 mm, voxel size 1.0×1.0×1.0 mm3). Pre-processing was conducted using afni_proc.py in AFNI [5] including the following standard procedures: realignment, regression, and blurring. All images were registered to a 3x3x3 mm3 Talairach-Tournoux (TT) standard space. Independent component analysis (ICA) and dual regression were performed in FSL [6]. Fourteen resting state networks (RSNs) were identified from 20 group components using FSL-MELODIC on the 20 healthy controls. Voxelwise analysis was performed using FSL-randomise to identify significant clusters showing RSFC differences within each RSN. Values for mean z-scores were obtained in each cluster. We only report results that survived at cluster threshold of p<0.01 and α<0.05.

Results:

Regions showing significant increases (p<0.01) in RSFC in 4 regions within 3 networks in patients with PSCI after receiving acupuncture treatment on the GV20 compared to themselves before the treatment (Figure 1), including right (R) precentral gyrus in somatosensory network, left (L) and R cuneus in visual network, and R thalamus in salience network. Cluster size, peak coordinate, and location of each region of interest (ROI) is shown in Table 1.
Supporting Image: Screenshot2023-12-01at224232.png
Supporting Image: Screenshot2023-12-01at224249.png
 

Conclusions:

evated resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) in the precentral gyrus indicates the positive effects of acupuncture treatment on object recognition, texture discrimination, improved sensory-motor feedback, and enhanced social cue exchange [7]. Working in tandem with the secondary somatosensory cortex, the precentral gyrus oversees body sensations and potentially transmits signals to the motor cortex for executing reactions and appropriate motor responses [8]. Increased RSFC bilaterally in the cuneus provides additional evidence of acupuncture's impact on alertness, visual processing, and visual-motor control crucial for vision-motion coordination movements [9,10]. Increase in RSFC in thalamus, known for salience control involving sensory, emotion, and attention systems, suggests acupuncture treatment on GV20 could influence emotion and behaviour regulation [11-15].

Modeling and Analysis Methods:

Connectivity (eg. functional, effective, structural) 2
Task-Independent and Resting-State Analysis 1

Keywords:

ADULTS
Data analysis
FUNCTIONAL MRI
MRI
Physical Therapy
Treatment

1|2Indicates the priority used for review

Provide references using author date format

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