Startle is a fast response elicited by sudden acoustic, tactile, or visual stimuli in a variety of animals and in humans. As the magnitude of startle response can be modulated by external and internal variables, it can be a useful tool to study reaction to stress. Our study evaluated whether acupuncture can change cardiac autonomic modulation (heart rate variability); and behavioural (reactivit...

Acupuncture at Baihui (GV20) and Dazhui (GV14) reduces neuronal loss and attenuates ultrastructural damage in cerebral ischemic rats. However, whether acupuncture can treat addiction and prevent readdiction through changes to brain cell ultrastructure remains unknown. In this study, cell apoptosis was observed in the hippocampus and frontal lobe of heroin readdicted rats by electron microscopy....

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE Ischemic stroke is characterized by high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), aquaporin (AQP) 4, and AQP9 are linked to permeabilization of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI). BBB disruption, tissue inflammation, and MMP/AQP upregulation jointly provoke brain edema/swelling after CIRI, while acupunctur...

It has been shown in previous studies that the autonomic nervous system can be affected by acupuncture. Within this study, teleacupuncture between China and Austria is used for quantifying the effects of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) in 33 Chinese patients (27 females, 6 males; mean age ± SD 49.5 ± 13.1 years; range 22-72 years) suffering from depression. Electrocardiographic...

Methods From 2008–2009, patients at a private infertility clinic in Kirkland, WA could elect onsite adjuvant acupuncture on the day of ET. Of 464 patients who received ET, 188 elected acupuncture (Acu) and 276 did not (No Acu). The Acu group received two standardized acupuncture treatments. Prior to ET, the following points were needled: GV20, PC6, ST29, SP8, LV3 and R6 with Shenmen and Brain o...