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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 13, 2025

Monitoring Acupuncture Effects on Human Brain by fMRI
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Does the Acupoint Specificity Exist? Evidence from Functional Neuroimaging Studies.

Ke Qiu1, Tao Yin1, Xiaojuan Hong1

  • 1Acupuncture and Tuina School/The 3rd Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 610075, China.

Current Medical Imaging
|July 30, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Functional neuroimaging studies confirm acupoint specificity in acupuncture, though its expression is relative. Factors like participant characteristics and treatment parameters influence these findings.

Keywords:
Acupunctureacupoint specificityfMRIfunctional neuroimagingneuroimagingnonacupoints

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Integrative Medicine
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Acupoint specificity is central to acupuncture theory and practice.
  • Functional neuroimaging is increasingly used to explore its underlying mechanisms.
  • Understanding acupoint specificity is crucial for advancing acupuncture research and clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current status of functional neuroimaging studies on acupoint specificity.
  • To identify potential factors influencing the expression of acupoint specificity in neuroimaging research.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic search of the PubMed database was conducted from January 1, 1995, to December 31, 2016.
  • Data on study characteristics, methodologies, and results were extracted and analyzed.
  • Seventy-nine studies met the inclusion criteria for the review.

Main Results:

  • Most studies (65.8%) were conducted in China, primarily with healthy subjects (73.4%) using manual acupuncture (77.2%).
  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was the predominant technique (89.9%), focusing on immediate effects (86.1%).
  • The majority of studies (93.7%) reported positive results, supporting the existence of acupoint specificity.

Conclusions:

  • The review affirms the existence of acupoint specificity.
  • Acupoint specificity is considered relative, not absolute.
  • Factors such as participant characteristics, sample size, acupoint selection, treatment duration, and acupoint type can modulate the observed specificity.