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

Table 1

Activated regions in fMRI after de qi in Zusanli acupoint following acupuncture.

Anatomy	BA	Side	Talairach			score
			(mm)	(mm)	(mm)
Inferior parietal lobule	40	R	60	−38	42	3.93
Subcortex white matter		R	22	−66	28	3.71
			32	−52	38	3.02
Precuneus	7	L	−24	−80	44	3.22
			−12	−76	46	3.06
Superior temporal gyrus	22	R	30	12	−22	2.91
Inferior parietal lobule	40	L	−46	−58	52	2.86
			−52	46	54	2.57
Gyrus frontalis medius	47	R	36	22	−6	2.37
			48	36	10	2.74
Central occipital gyrus	19	L	−30	−76	48	2.74
Prefrontal lobe	46	R	44	38	18	2.68
Cuneate lobe	19	R	16	−80	20	2.62
Frontal lobe frame gyrus	10	L	−40	40	24	2.59
Posterior central gyrus	3	R	18	68	60	2.55
Ventriculus dexter cerebri		R	2	8	14	2.46
Mesencephalon		R	4	−38	−20	2.44
Supramarginal gyrus	40	L	−38	−52	34	2.42

Table 1 lists the Talairach coordinates. Numbers in cortical areas of the images correspond to Brodmann areas. Multiple regions of signal increase were observed during acupuncture needle manipulation of the right leg at ST.36. Acupuncture induced activation over the ipsilateral inferior parietal lobule (Brodmann areas 40), ipsilateral subcortex white matter, ipsilateral superior temporal gyrus (Brodmann areas 22), ipsilateral gyrus frontalis medius (Brodmann areas 47), ipsilateral prefrontal lobe (Brodmann areas 46), ipsilateral cuneate lobe (Brodmann areas 19), ipsilateral posterior central gyrus (Brodmann areas 3), the contralateral precuneus (Brodmann areas 7), the contralateral inferior parietal lobule (Brodmann areas 40), the contralateral central occipital gyrus (Brodmann areas 19), the contralateral frontal lobe frame gyrus (Brodmann areas 10), and the contralateral supramarginal gyrus (Brodmann areas 40). In addition, there was activation in the ipsilateral ventriculus dexter cerebri and mesencephalon.