LightNeedle - RJ Laser

EFFECTS OF NEW NONINVASIVE LASERNEEDLES
ON BRAIN FUNCTION
G. Litscher*, D. Schikora**
* Department of Biomedical Engineering and Research in Anesthesia and Critical Care,
University of Graz, Graz, Austria
** Department of Physics and Optoelectronic, University of Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany
Abstract: This paper describes the first double-blind
study in acupuncture research in 17 healthy volunteers
using laserneedle acupuncture. Stimulation of
vision related acupoints resulted in marked changes
of mean blood flow velocity in the posterior cerebral
artery measured by multidirectional transcranial
Doppler sonography. Further studies using different
laser stimulus intensities and wavelengths are in
progress.
Keywords: laser, laserneedle, acupuncture, brain
function, blood flow velocity
Introduction
A new noninvasive laserneedle system has been developed
and used for the first time in acupuncture research
[1,2]. This new optical stimulation technique has
the advantage that the stimulation cannot be felt by the
patient. The operator may also be unaware of whether
the laserneedle system is active and therefore for the
first time true double blind studies in acupuncture research
can be performed.
Materials and Methods
The laser radiation is coupled into eight optical fibres
and the laserneedles are arranged at the distal ends
of the optical fibres. Due to the direct contact of the
laserneedles and the skin, no loss of intensity occurs and
the laser power, which affects the acupoints, can be
exactly determined [1,2].
Simultaneous and continuous transtemporal Doppler
sonographic examinations of the posterior cerebral artery
(PCA) and the middle cerebral artery (MCA) were
performed to objectify alterations of cerebral blood flow
velocity. Seventeen healthy volunteers with a mean age
of 25.1 + 4.1 years (⎺x + SD) were examined. Eight
vision related distal acupoints (Hegu, Zusanli, Kunlun,
Zhiyin) on both sides and 8 placebo points were tested
using two schemes, each in one session in a randomized
double-blind cross-over study design. The data before
(a), during (b - d), and after (e) laserneedle acupuncture
(Fig.1) were tested with Kruskal-Wallis one way
ANOVA on ranks (SigmaStat, Jandel Scientific Corp.,
Erkrath, Germany).
Fig. 1: Measurement profile.
Results
The results of the alterations of mean blood flow velocities
in the PCA and MCA before (a), during (b - d),
and after (e) laserneedle and placebo acupuncture are
summarized in Table 1.
Tab. 1: Changes in mean blood flow velocity (vm;
⎺x + SE) in 17 healthy volunteers during laserneedle
(A) and placebo (B) acupuncture. Note the
increase of vm at the conditions b - d (* n.s.) during
A.
v m (cm/s) A: PCA B: PCA A: MCA B: MCA
a 42.2 ± 2.5 42.9 ± 2.6 48.0 ± 3.1 47.5 ± 3.2
b 44.7 ± 2.7 * 41.6 ± 2.7 48.0 ± 3.2 45.9 ± 3.1
c 43.9 ± 2.6 41.6 ± 2.7 47.6 ± 3.2 45.7 ± 3.1
d 44.1 ± 2.6 41.9 ± 2.4 48.6 ± 3.1 45.9 ± 3.0
e 42.3 ± 2.4 42.1 ± 2.8 46.8 ± 3.2 46.2 ± 3.1
Discussion
Recent scientific and technological progress has
truly revolutionized acupuncture. The usage of advanced
exploratory tools, such as laser Doppler flowmetry,
laser Doppler imaging, ultrasound or magnetic
resonance imaging, provides revealing insights and
attempt to shine scientific light upon the most spectacular
of the eastern medical procedures [3-9].
Similar like in animal studies we have found recently
that the brain is the key to acupuncture’s and
laserpuncture’s effects. New experimental constructions
to measure ultrasound, light and bioelectrical processes
can reproducibly demonstrate effects of stimulation of
acupoints in the brain [1,3-9].
Streitberger and Kleinhenz [10] have reported that
the stimulus strength at the acupuncture points are of