Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2004; 9: 50
The aim of this study was to ascertain which acupuncture treatment side will be beneficial for brain function using blind-spot mapping.
After ruling out the pathological conditions, 40 clinical trial volunteers were chosen who showed a right-side physiological blind spot more enlarged than the left. Forty subjects were randomly divided into two groups: one was treated with electroacupuncture on the contralateral ST 36 meridian point and the other was treated with electroacupuncture on the ipsilateral ST 36 meridian point. Physiological blind-spot maps were measured for an index of brain function before and after electroacupuncture application, and we statistically analysed the data.
The significant changes in the blind-spot perimetry length were observed. In the case of electroacupuncture application on the ipsilateral side, blind-spot perimetry length was decreased by 4.11 ± 8.56 cm (17.3%, P < 0.05), but in the case of contralateral side, the length was increased by 3.19 ± 5.40 cm (13.7%, P < 0.05). Repeated measures of analysis of variance on blind-spot perimetry length revealed significant group-by-time interaction [F(1,38) = 10.4, P = 0.003].
The results suggest that the acupuncture treatment side affects the blind-spot perimetry length, which can be reflected in brain functions. Ipsilateral side treatment has a better effect than contralateral side treatment in brain function. These results suggest that determining the treatment side would be extremely clinically significant in the view of brain function in the acupuncture therapeutic strategy.
This study was supported by grants of the Oriental Medicine R&D projects (03-PJ9-PG6-SO02-0001), Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea.
