Modulation effect of acupuncture treatment on chronic neck and shoulder pain in female patients: Evidence from periaqueductal gray-based functional connectivity.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Chronic neck and shoulder pain (CNSP) is a common neurological disorder, which females are more likely to suffer from. The periaqueductal gray (PAG) plays a key role in the descending modulation of pain. This study aimed to investigate altered PAG-based functional connectivity (FC) in female patients with CNSP related to healthy controls (HCs) and the effect of acupuncture for female patients with CNSP using PAG-based FC biomarkers.

Methods

PAG-based FC value was calculated based on resting-state functional images and then compared between patients with CNSP at pre-acupuncture, post-acupuncture, and HCs. Then, correlational analyses were performed to examine the relationships between increased PAG-based FC strength and improved clinical parameters in patients after acup

SUBMITTER: Xu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8981480 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature