Neuroimaging study of acupuncture effects

This paper introduces modern medical imaging technologies (fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), PET(positron emission tomography), EEG(electroencephalography) and MEG(magnetoencephalography)) for deeper exploration in the field of acupuncture. Based on the experimental design and acupoint selection, acupuncture's regulation of the brain functional network, paralimbic system, brain stem network and its control of the endogenous analgesic system as well as the autonomic nervous system are presented from three aspects. This paper summarizes the imaging technology-related academic reports used in the neural mechanisms of acupuncture. It simultaneously depicts the problems in current acupuncture studies and provides a better framework for future experimental work in hope of further understanding the neural mechanisms of acupuncture.