Traditional Chinese acupuncture has a history of several thousand years. The World Health Organization has published guidelines describing the efficacy of acupuncture in the cure or relief of 64 different symptoms and conditions as one of the most representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. In recent years, the applications of laser acupuncture, or so-called low-level laser therapy which are belong to the domain of photobiomodulation therapy, become widespread. Laser acupuncture is not only applicate to stimuli specific areas in need, but also one of non-invasive intervention technic with hurtles intervention, no hematoma, bleeding or swelling unpleasant feeling after intervention, which could be more accepted by children, weakness people, and patients who afraid of acupuncture. However, the underlined mechanisms and the neural pathway of laser acupuncture are still obscure. The inconsistent results from previous studies have been reported that laser acupuncture stimulation on the Neiguan (PC 6), the acupoint of Pericardium meridian, could affect the autonomic nerve system in terms of heart rate, blood pressure, activities of sympathetic and/or parasympathetic nerves. The results of previous studies on the changes of autonomic nervous system (ANS) caused by laser acupuncture on Neiguan (PC6), an acupoint of the pericardium meridian, have been inconsistent. Our preliminary results show that laser acupuncture on PC6 seems to have a biphasic dosage effect on the ANS changes. However, little is known about the possible central mechanisms underpinned these ANS changes. In addition, whether laser acupuncture on different meridians will also induce a biphasic dosage effect on the ANS is still unknown. Therefore, the main purposes of this project are: 1) to explore the changes of ANS and associated brain networks by applying laser acupuncture with on PC6 different intensities; and 2) to explore whether applying laser acupuncture on different meridians will have different ANS and related brain network responses. In this two-year, single-blind, parallel experiment design project, the recruited healthy subjects will randomly assign to the group with high energy density, low energy density, or no energy of laser acupuncture on PC6 (in first year) or on Shugu (in second year), which is an acupoint of the bladder meridian (BL65). Via a non-invasive wearable photoplethysmography, the peripheral pulse rate variability will be calculated as the index of ANS changes. In addition, the resting-state functional MRI scans will be performed before and after laser acupuncture to explore the immediate changes in the brain networks that may regulates the activity of ANS. The investigators hope that through the application of modern scientific methods to probe the meridian phenomenon in Chinese medicine, The investigators can further understand the neurological mechanisms of the meridian and provide a new insight for the traditional meridian theory of Chinese medicine.
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Functional connectivity in brain
Timeframe: 500 seconds before and 30 seconds after laser acupuncture intervention