Acupuncture's Secret Blood Flow To Brain

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Acupuncture's Secret: Blood Flow To BrainAcupuncture's Secret: Blood Flow To Brain (FarShores)Updated: Thursday, Mar. 4, 2004 - 9:20 AM Acupuncture on pain-relief points cuts blood flow to key areas of thebrain within seconds, providing the clearest explanation to date for howthe ancient technique might relieve pain and treat addictions, a Harvardscientist reports today. Although researchers still don't fully understand how acupuncture works,''our findings may connect the dots, showing how a common pathway in thebrain could make acupuncture helpful for a variety of conditions,'' saysradiologist Bruce Rosen of Harvard Medical School. He'll release thefindings at the American Psychosomatic Society meeting in Orlando. Rosen's team used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRIs, onabout 20 healthy volunteers before, during and after acupuncture. Thistype of brain scan shows changes in blood flow and the amount of oxygenin blood. Researchers applied acupuncture needles to points on the hand linked topain relief in traditional Chinese medicine. Blood flow decreased incertain areas of the brain within seconds of volunteers reporting aheaviness in their hands, a sign the acupuncture is working correctly,Rosen says. The needle technique is not supposed to hurt if donecorrectly. When a few subjects reported pain, their scans showed anincrease of blood to the same brain areas. ''When there's less blood, the brain isn't working as hard, '' Rosensays. ''In effect, acupuncture is quieting down key regions of thebrain.'' The specific brain areas affected are involved in mood, pain andcravings, Rosen says. This could help explain why some studies havefound acupuncture helpful in treating depression, eating problems,addictions and pain. The brain regions involved also are loaded with dopamine, a ''reward''chemical that surges in reaction to everything from cocaine to food,beautiful faces and money. The reduced blood flow could lead to dopaminechanges that trigger a ''cascade'' effect, releasing endorphins, thebrain's natural pain-relieving and comforting chemicals, Rosen says. Rosen's study ''is a very exciting first step,'' says neurobiologistRichard Hammerschlag of the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine inPortland, but controlled research on pain and addiction patients will beneeded to prove the point. Brain scans should be done on patientsgetting acupuncture at real and bogus points, he says, and patientsshouldn't know which group they're in. The placebo effect is so powerful it could affect blood flow, says UCLAneurobiologist Christopher Evans, a pain expert. There's even someevidence that placebos can increase brain chemicals, such as endorphins,Hammerschlag says. Copyright 2004 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.