| Study ID | Acupoints | Instrument | Results |
| Lin 1991 [4] | Acupoints on the human thorax | Voll’s electroacupuncture devise and electric resistance tester | The electric resistance at acupoints on the human thorax was not correlated with the existence of Deqi sensations at the same point. | Ma 1998 [5] | NA | NA | It is hypothesized that activation of the stretch-activated ion channels is a mediator of the Deqi sensation and the transduction of stimulation signals. |
Huang et al. 2012 [6] | LI3, LI4, LI5, LI11 | Speckle laser blood flow scanner | AWD at LI11 increased microvascular perfusion at 3 meridian acupoints. | Watanabe et al. 1994 [7] | LI10 | DP1100 system | The latency of the event-related potential triggered triggered by AWD was greater than that by electric stimulation. This showed that AWD may influence CNS functions. | Huang 1999 [8] | ST36 | EGEG-2DZ | EGG amplitude and the waveform reaction area in two types of Deqi groups differed greatly from those in AOD control. | Sandberg et al. 2003 [9] | ST36 | PPG | AWD markedly increased muscle and skin blood flow compared with AOD. | Zhang et al. 2009 [10] | ST36 | CDU | AWD greatly changed hemodynamic parameters of the anterior tibial artery. | Yu et al. 2008 [11] | ST36, LI11 | CDU | AWD at both points markedly increased the average displacement of the surrounding connective tissues. | Karst et al. 2003 [12] | LI11 | Flow cytometry | AWD significantly increased the respiratory burst of neutrophils and slightly dropped beta-endorphin levels. | Streitberger et al. 2008 [13] | LI4 | NA | AWD induced more frequent occurrence of vegetative effects and increased occipital EEG power compared with placebo. | Huang et al. 2009 [14] | PC6 | PCS | AWD at PC6 markedly increased TCE values measured at a nonacupoint on the meridian. | Huang et al. 2010 [15] | PC6 | PCS | AWD at PC6 markedly increased TCE values measured at two nonacupoints on the meridian and at PC3. | Takamoto et al. 2010[16] | # | Functional near-infrared spectroscopy | AWD decreased oxy-Hb concentration in SMA, pre-SMA, and the anterior dorsomedial prefrontal cortex for all stimulated points. | Zhang et al. 2011 [17] | SJ5 | PET | AWD activated BA7, -13, -20, -22, -39, -42, and -45. | Lai et al. 2009 [18] | TE5 | PET | AWD markedly activated BA13 and 42 and the left cerebellum compared with sham needling. | Chen et al. 2012 [19] | TE5 | SPECT | AWD significantly activated BA6, -8, -19, -21, -28, -33, -35, -37, and -47, parahippocampal gyrus, lentiform nucleus, claustrum, and red nucleus, and it deactivated BA9 and -25 compared with sham needling. | Pan et al. 2008 [20] | SP6 | fMRI | AWD activated the cortex, the subcortical limbic system, the cingulated gyrus, the lentiform nucleus, the corpus albicans, and the inferior semilunar lobule, and it deactivated the anterior central gyrus and the anterior cingulate. | Zeng 2009 [21] | SJ5 | fMRI | AWD markedly activated BA13, -22, -37, -40, -44, -45, and -47, hippocampus, amygdale, and substantia nigra. | Chen et al. 2011 [22] | LI4 | fMRI | AWD activated BA4, -6, -9, -13, -17, -18, -19, -21, -22, -23, -29, -30, -35, -36, -37, -39, -40, -41, -42, -43, -44, and -46, and it deactivated medial frontal gyrus, BA24, and the right superior frontal gyrus. | Fang et al. 2012 [23] | LI4 | fMRI | AWD deactivated the right amygdale, the cingulated gyrus, the midbrain, the medial frontal gyrus, and the cuneus gyrus. | Fang et al. 2012 [24] | LR3 | fMRI | AWD deactivated the limbic-paralimbic-neocortical network and strengthened the connection of these deactivated brain regions. | Tan et al. 2009 [25] | ST36 | fMRI | AWD activated functional areas of the cerebral limbic system and dropped serum gastrin levels. | Zhang 2011 [26] | ST36 | fMRI | AWD activated cerebral areas SI and SII, the left temporal cortex, the insular cortex, the motor, and supplementary motor cortices, the cingulated gyrus, the hypothalamus, and the amygdaloid body. | Hu et al. 2012 [27] | ST36 | fMRI | AWD deactivated the cerebral limbic system and the functional regions associated with language, cognition, and motor control. | Wu et al. 1999 [28] | LI4, ST36 | fMRI | AWD at both points activated the hypothalamus and the nucleus accumbens, and it deactivated the rostral part of the anterior cingulate cortex, the amygdala formation, and the hippocampal complex compared with no such effects from AOD. | Gong et al. 2003 [29] | ST36, ST37 | fMRI | AWD at both points activated bilateral cingulated gyrus, insular lobe, superior wall of lateral sulcus, and precentral gyrus. AOD at both points activated the left posterior central gyrus. Different cerebral areas were activated during Deqi and non-Deqi at the same point. | Claunch et al. 2012 [30] | LI4, ST36, LR3 | fMRI | AWD at all three points deactivated the right subgenual, the right subgenual cingulate, the right isthmus of the cingulum bundle, and the right BA31. | Asghar et al. 2010 [31] | LI4 | fMRI | Marked deactivation of the brain area was observed during Deqi in contrast to the occurrence of a mixture of activations and deactivations in the acute pain group. | Hui et al. 2005 [32] | ST36 | fMRI | Attenuation of signal intensity in the limbic and paralimbic structures of cortical and subcortical regions in telencephalon, the diencephalon, the brainstem, and the cerebellum was observed during AWD compared with signal increase with the acute pain and the AOD group. |
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