简介：Moststudiesaddressingthespecificityofmeridiansandacupuncturepointshavefocusedmainlyonthedifferentneuraleffectsofacupunctureatdifferentpointsinhealthyindividuals.Thisstudyexaminedtheeffectsofacupunctureonbrainfunctioninapathologicalcontext.Sixteenpatientswithischemicstrokewererandomlyassignedtotruepointgroup(trueacupunctureatrightWaiguan(SJ5))andshampointgroup(shamacupuncture).Resultsoffunctionalmagneticresonanceimagingrevealedactivationinrightparietallobe(Brodmannareas7and19),therighttemporallobe(Brodmannarea39),therightlimbiclobe(Brodmannarea23)andbilateraloccipitallobes(Brodmannarea18).Furthermore,inhibitionofbilateralfrontallobes(Brodmannarea4,6,and45),rightparietallobe(Brodmannareas1and5)andlefttemporallobe(Brodmannarea21)wereobservedinthetruepointgroup.Activationintheprecuneusofrightparietallobe(Brodmannarea7)andinhibitionoftheleftsuperiorfrontalgyrus(Brodmannarea10)wasobservedintheshamgroup.Comparedwithshamacupuncture,acupunctureatWaiguaninstrokepatientsinhibitedBrodmannarea5onthehealthyside.Resultsindicatedthatthealteredspecificityofsensation-associatedcortex(Brodmannarea5)ispossiblyassociatedwithacentralmechanismofacupunctureatWaiguanforstrokepatients.