De Qi, a Threshold of the Stimulus Intensity, Elicits the Specific Response of Acupoints and Intrinsic Change of Human Brain to Acupuncture

Figure 7

Change of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in Zusanli acupoint following acupuncture before and after de qi. Mean results of functional MR images of brain activation/deactivation of nine subjects in each stimulation paradigm. Representative color-coded statistical maps derived from data obtained during the four stimulations paradigms (overlaid on morphologic MR images) show the distribution of foci with significant increases (shown in the spectrum from red to yellow) and decreases (shown in the spectrum from blue to green) in signal intensity, relative to that of the respective states.