Xiaoqing Zeng

Effect of electro-acupuncture and moxibustion on brain connectivity in patients with crohn’s disease: A resting-state fMRI study

Acupuncture and moxibustion have been shown to be effective in treating Crohn’s disease (CD), but their therapeutic mechanisms remain unclear. Here we compared brain responses to either electro-acupuncture or moxibustion treatment in CD patients experiencing remission. A total of 65 patients were randomly divided into an electro-acupuncture group (n = 32) or a moxibustion group (n = 33), and treated for 12 weeks. Eighteen patients in the electro-acupuncture group and 20 patients in the moxibustion group underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging at baseline and after treatment. Seed-based analysis was used to compare the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between bilateral hippocampus and other brain regions before and after the treatments, as well as between the two groups. The CD activity index (CDAI) and inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (IBDQ) were used to evaluate disease severity and patient quality of life. Electro-acupuncture and moxibustion both significantly reduced CDAI values and increased IBDQ scores. In the electro-acupuncture group, the rsFC values between bilateral hippocampus and anterior middle cingulate cortex (MCC) and insula were significantly increased, and the changes were negatively correlated with the CDAI scores. In the moxibustion group, the rsFC values between bilateral hippocampus and precuneus as well as inferior parietal lobe (IPC) were significantly elevated, and the changes were negatively correlated with the CDAI scores. We conclude that the therapeutic effects of electro-acupuncture and moxibustion on CD may involve the differently modulating brain homeostatic afferent processing network and default mode network (DMN), respectively.

Effect of electroacupuncture and herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion on anxiety and depression in patients with crohn’s disease in remission

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) and herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion on anxiety and depression in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) in remission.MethodsSixty CD cases were randomly allocated into an EA group (n=30) and an herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group (n=30) using the random number table by the ratio of 1:1. In addition, 30 healthy subjects were included in a control group. Bilateral Tianshu (ST 25), Qihai (CV 6) and Zhongwan (CV 12) were used in the EA and herbal cakepartitioned moxibustion groups. The treatment was done 3 times a week, for a total of 12 weeks. The efficacy was evaluated using self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), self-rating depression scale (SDS) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom scores.ResultsBefore treatment, the SAS and SDS scores in CD patients were remarkably higher than those in healthy subjects. After EA or herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion treatment, the SAS and SDS scores were significantly decreased in both groups, showing significant intra-group differences (P<0.05); the symptom scores of abdominal pain (severity, frequency and duration), bowel sounds/flatus and general fatigue were significantly decreased, showing significant intra-group differences (P<0.05); however, there were no between-group statistical differences (P>0.05).ConclusionBoth EA and herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion can significantly decrease abnormally high SAS and SDS scores in CD patients as well as TCM symptom scores. The two therapies share similar effects in alleviating common symptoms and improving anxiety and depression.摘要目的观察电针和隔药灸对缓解期克罗恩病(Crohn’s disease, CD)患者焦虑和抑郁情绪的影响。方法将60 例符合纳入标准的患者按照1:1 比例按随机数字表随机分为电针组和隔药灸组, 纳入30 例健康受试者作对照。电针组或隔药灸组均选取双侧天枢, 气海和中脘, 电针组患者采用电针治疗, 隔药灸组患者采用隔药灸治疗, 每星期治疗3 次, 共治疗12 星期。以自评焦虑量表(self-rating anxiety scale, SAS)、自评抑郁量表(self-ratingdepression scale, SDS)及中医症状积分为观察指标进行疗效评价。结果与健康受试者相比, CD 患者SAS 和SDS评分显著增加。电针和隔药灸治疗后, 两组患者SAS 和SDS 评分均显著降低, 与本组治疗前有统计学差异(P<0.05); 患者腹痛(程度、频次、时间)及肠鸣矢气、神疲乏力症状积分显著降低, 与本组治疗前有统计学差异(P<0.05), 两种疗法间差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论电针和隔药灸均能降低CD 患者异常增高的SAS、SDS 评分及常见中医症状积分, 在缓解临床常见症状的同时改善其焦虑和抑郁情绪, 两种疗法作用相当。

Differences in brain gray matter volume in patients with Crohn’s disease with and without abdominal pain

Increasing evidence indicates that abnormal pain processing is present in the central nervous system of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). The purposes of this study were to assess changes in gray matter (GM) volumes in CD patients in remission and to correlate structural changes in the brain with abdominal pain. We used a 3.0 T magnetic resonance scanner to examine the GM structures in 21 CD patients with abdominal pain, 26 CD patients without abdominal pain, and 30 healthy control subjects (HCs). Voxel-based morphometric analyses were used to assess the brain GM volumes. Patients with abdominal pain exhibited higher CD activity index and lower inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire scores than those of the patients without abdominal pain. Compare to HCs and to patients without abdominal pain, patients with abdominal pain exhibited lower GM volumes in the insula and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC); whereas compare to HCs and to patients with abdominal pain, the patients without abdominal pain exhibited higher GM volumes in the hippocampal and parahippocampal cortex. The GM volumes in the insula and ACC were significantly negatively correlated with daily pain scores. These results suggest that differences exist in the brain GM volume between CD patients in remission with and without abdominal pain. The negative correlation between the GM volumes in the insula and ACC and the presence and severity of abdominal pain in CD suggests these structures are closely related to visceral pain processing.

Effect of electroacupuncture and herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion on anxiety and depression in patients with crohn’s disease in remission@@@电针和隔药灸对缓解期克罗恩病患者焦虑和抑郁情绪的影响

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) and herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion on anxiety and depression in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) in remission.MethodsSixty CD cases were randomly allocated into an EA group (n=30) and an herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group (n=30) using the random number table by the ratio of 1:1. In addition, 30 healthy subjects were included in a control group. Bilateral Tianshu (ST 25), Qihai (CV 6) and Zhongwan (CV 12) were used in the EA and herbal cakepartitioned moxibustion groups. The treatment was done 3 times a week, for a total of 12 weeks. The efficacy was evaluated using self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), self-rating depression scale (SDS) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom scores.ResultsBefore treatment, the SAS and SDS scores in CD patients were remarkably higher than those in healthy subjects. After EA or herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion treatment, the SAS and SDS scores were significantly decreased in both groups, showing significant intra-group differences (P<0.05); the symptom scores of abdominal pain (severity, frequency and duration), bowel sounds/flatus and general fatigue were significantly decreased, showing significant intra-group differences (P<0.05); however, there were no between-group statistical differences (P>0.05).ConclusionBoth EA and herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion can significantly decrease abnormally high SAS and SDS scores in CD patients as well as TCM symptom scores. The two therapies share similar effects in alleviating common symptoms and improving anxiety and depression.摘要目的观察电针和隔药灸对缓解期克罗恩病(Crohn’s disease, CD)患者焦虑和抑郁情绪的影响。方法将60 例符合纳入标准的患者按照1:1 比例按随机数字表随机分为电针组和隔药灸组, 纳入30 例健康受试者作对照。电针组或隔药灸组均选取双侧天枢, 气海和中脘, 电针组患者采用电针治疗, 隔药灸组患者采用隔药灸治疗, 每星期治疗3 次, 共治疗12 星期。以自评焦虑量表(self-rating anxiety scale, SAS)、自评抑郁量表(self-ratingdepression scale, SDS)及中医症状积分为观察指标进行疗效评价。结果与健康受试者相比, CD 患者SAS 和SDS评分显著增加。电针和隔药灸治疗后, 两组患者SAS 和SDS 评分均显著降低, 与本组治疗前有统计学差异(P<0.05); 患者腹痛(程度、频次、时间)及肠鸣矢气、神疲乏力症状积分显著降低, 与本组治疗前有统计学差异(P<0.05), 两种疗法间差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论电针和隔药灸均能降低CD 患者异常增高的SAS、SDS 评分及常见中医症状积分, 在缓解临床常见症状的同时改善其焦虑和抑郁情绪, 两种疗法作用相当。