[Heat-sensitive moxibustion alleviates psychological craving in patients with methamphetamine addiction (withdrawal...

To observe the effect of heat-sensitive moxibustion on psychological craving in patients with methamphetamine addiction (withdrawal stage).

Sixty patients with methamphetamine addiction (withdrawal stage) were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, with 30 cases in each group. The control group received routine drug rehabilitation and correctional education in the rehabilitation center; the observation group received heat-sensitive moxibustion at Shenque (CV8) and Danzhong (CV17) on the basis of the control group regimen, 60 min per session, once daily, four times a week. Both groups were treated for 4 weeks. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score for psychological craving was assessed before treatment, 4 weeks into treatment, and 2 weeks after treatment completion (follow-up) in the two groups. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to observe the brain region activation and brain functional connectivity changes before and after treatment in the two groups.

Compared before treatment, the VAS scores for psychological craving were reduced at 4 weeks into treatment and at follow-up in the observation group (P<0.01), which were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). Compared before treatment and the control group, the brain activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus (L-IFG), left frontopolar area (L-FPA), and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC) was decreased in the observation group (P<0.01, P<0.05). Compared before treatment, the functional connectivity was enhanced between the right inferior frontal gyrus (R-IFG) and left premotor & supplementary motor cortex (L-PM&SMA), left somatosensory cortex (L-S1), right Wernicke (R-Wernicke), as well as the right Broca's area and right somatosensory cortex (R-S1), L-S1 in the observation group after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared before treatment, the functional connectivity was enhanced between L-FPA and right PM&SMA in the control group after treatment (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the observation group showed stronger enhancements in functional connectivity of R-IFG with L-PM&SMA, L-S1, and R-Wernicke after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01).

Heat-sensitive moxibustion could alleviate psychological craving in patients with methamphetamine addiction (withdrawal stage), possibly through complex regulatory mechanisms involving multiple brain regions.