CLINICAL RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Please note: All posters will be displayed in
Salons 10-12.
THURSDAY, 10:15-11:00 AM
Shen Y, Goddard G.
fMRI shows specific brain areas activated with acupuncture
(large intestine 4) in patients with myofascial pain of the jaw muscles:
a pilot study.
University of California, San Francisco School
of Dentistry goddard@itsa.ucsf.edu
& yosh9898@yahoo.com
PURPOSE: We sought to determine if acupuncture
at Large Intestine 4 acupoint activates specific areas of the anterior
cingulate cortex and thalamus of the brain with pain inhibitory function
in patients with myofascial pain through the use of functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI).
METHODS: A single-blind, randomized, controlled,
clinical trial with an independent observer was performed. Nineteen
subjects over the age of 18 with a clinical diagnosis of chronic myofascial
pain of the masticatory muscles were recruited to participate and were
randomly assigned to 1 of 2 experimental groups: eleven subjects received
real acupuncture and eight subjects received placebo acupuncture. All
subjects were required to rate their general pain of the head and neck
area on a numerical analog scale (NAS) and their pain threshold of the
masseter muscle, with the use of an algometer, on a visual analog scale
(VAS) before acupuncture treatment. All subjects were exposed to a total
of 25 minutes under fMRI image scanning. Within the 25 minutes of scanning,
the initial 5 minutes were for baseline reading, followed by 2 minutes
of jaw clenching for pain stimulation, and then 18 minutes of unilateral
acupuncture treatment at Hoku Large Intestine 4 acupoint. Lastly, all
subjects were required to rate their general pain of the head and neck
area on a numerical analog scale (NAS) and their pain threshold of the
masseter muscle, with the use of an algometer, on a visual analog scale
(VAS) after acupuncture treatment. A simple questionnaire followed,
asking whether the subject believed they received real or placebo acupuncture.
RESULTS: Four (50%) out of eight subjects who
received placebo acupuncture correctly guessed they received placebo
acupuncture. Nine (82%) out of eleven subjects who received real acupuncture
correctly guessed they received real acupuncture. Eight (72.7%) out
of eleven subjects who received real acupuncture had an average decrease
of 2.125 points on the NAS in jaw/face pain. Four (50%) out of eight
subjects who received placebo acupuncture had an average decrease of
2.0 points on the NAS in jaw/face pain. Further results are under analysis
and to be determined.
CONCLUSION: Under analysis and to be determined.
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