Open AccessModulatory Effects of Actual and Imagined Acupuncture on the Functional Connectivity of the Periaqueductal Gray and Ventral Tegmental Area
Author(s) -
Jin Cao,
Yiheng Tu,
Scott P. Orr,
Georgia Wilson,
Jian Kong
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
psychosomatic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.62
H-Index - 187
eISSN - 1534-7796
pISSN - 0033-3174
DOI - 10.1097/psy.0000000000000984
Subject(s) - periaqueductal gray , ventral tegmental area , anterior cingulate cortex , neuroscience , precuneus , nucleus accumbens , prefrontal cortex , acupuncture , medicine , cingulate cortex , hippocampus , psychology , dopaminergic , dopamine , functional magnetic resonance imaging , central nervous system , midbrain , pathology , cognition , alternative medicine
Both acupuncture and guided imagery hold promise for treating pain. The mechanisms underlying these alternative interventions remain unclear. The reported study aimed to comparatively investigate the modulation effect of actual and imagined acupuncture on the functional connectivity of descending pain modulation system and reward network.