Journals Information
Universal Journal of Biomedical Engineering(CEASE PUBLICATION) Vol. 3(4), pp. 23 - 29
DOI: 10.13189/ujbe.2015.030401
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Effects of Electroacupuncture Stimulation at Frequencies near the Heart Rate on the Microcirculatory Blood Flow
Fong-Cheng Lin 1, Hsin Hsiu 2,*, Yao-Chun Lin 3, Ching-Yi Chung 4, Wei-Chen Hsu 4, Chao-Tsung Chen 4
1 Department of Rehabilitation, Taipei City Hospital RenAi Branch, Taiwan
2 Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
3 Department of Electrical Engineering, Yuan Ze University, Taiwan
4 Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taipei City Hospital RenAi Branch, Taiwan
ABSTRACT
Motivation: The frequency of electroacupuncture (EA) could substantially influence the induced response. We compared the effects of EA at frequencies at around the heart rate (HR) and 50%-higher-than-HR frequency on the microcirculatory blood flow (MBF). Methods: Skin-surface laser Doppler measurements were performed in healthy volunteers in three groups: (1) Group A (n=14), premeasurement-HR-frequency EA was applied; and (2) Group B (n=13), 50%-higher-than-HR-frequency EA. (3) Group C (n=16), no EA was applied. Each experiment involved recording a 20-min baseline-data sequence followed by an effect-data sequence obtained at 0鈥�20 min after stopping 20 min of 0.08-mA EA. Results: Beat-to-beat time-domain waveform analysis (including the pulse width, flow rise time, and microcirculatory blood-flow variability) revealed that following EA, the MBF supply at the stimulated site was improved in both groups, and that the MBF perfusion through arteriolar openings appeared to be more efficient in Group A than in Group B. Conclusion: The obtained data may help to establish a new noninvasive method for studying the mechanisms underlying the MBF response induced by EA.
KEYWORDS
Electro-acupuncture, Laser Doppler, Microcirculatory Blood Flow Variability
Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Fong-Cheng Lin , Hsin Hsiu , Yao-Chun Lin , Ching-Yi Chung , Wei-Chen Hsu , Chao-Tsung Chen , "Effects of Electroacupuncture Stimulation at Frequencies near the Heart Rate on the Microcirculatory Blood Flow," Universal Journal of Biomedical Engineering(CEASE PUBLICATION), Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 23 - 29, 2015. DOI: 10.13189/ujbe.2015.030401.
(b). APA Format:
Fong-Cheng Lin , Hsin Hsiu , Yao-Chun Lin , Ching-Yi Chung , Wei-Chen Hsu , Chao-Tsung Chen (2015). Effects of Electroacupuncture Stimulation at Frequencies near the Heart Rate on the Microcirculatory Blood Flow. Universal Journal of Biomedical Engineering(CEASE PUBLICATION), 3(4), 23 - 29. DOI: 10.13189/ujbe.2015.030401.