Short- and long-term modulation of upper limb motor-evoked potentials induced by acupuncture

摘要: The aim of this study was to investigate in humans the effects acupuncture upon upper-limb motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation primary motor cortex. It is known that peripheral sensory can be used induce short- and long-term changes cortex excitability. Data show simple insertion needle an adequate somatosensory stimulus a significant modulation MEP amplitude, sign which (facilitation or inhibition) specific investigated muscle point insertion. Moreover, muscles are also observed following needling lower-limb sites, revealing presence long-distance acupuncture. Finally, excitability considerably outlasts time period application, demonstrating induction plastic central nervous system. In addition, results have shown on not restricted well-coded acupoints, as described traditional Chinese medicine, but they induced nonacupoints, normally for therapeutic purposes. possible neuronal mechanisms underlying discussed relation available neurophysiological data regarding interlimb reflexes representational cortical maps prolonged stimulation.