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. 2024 Jul:7:100068.
doi: 10.1016/j.bbii.2024.100068. Epub 2024 Jul 6.

Modulation effects of imagery acupuncture and no-touch double-blinded placebo acupuncture, a cross-over pilot study

Nobuari Takakura  1 , Valeria Sacca  2 , Miho Takayama  1 , Qiao Kong  2 , Tomohiro Tanaka  1 , Takahiro Yamada  1 , Konomi Imanishi  1 , Amy Katherine Ursitti  2 , Meixuan Zhu  2 , Hiroyoshi Yajima  1 , Jian Kong  2
Affiliations

Modulation effects of imagery acupuncture and no-touch double-blinded placebo acupuncture, a cross-over pilot study

Nobuari Takakura et al. Brain Behav Immun Integr. 2024 Jul.

Abstract

Both imagery and acupuncture are the oldest medical practices. Recently, we have developed a new treatment modality, video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment (VGAIT), which combines acupuncture and imagery. In this crossover study, we investigated the modulation effects of video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment compared with placebo acupuncture using no-touch double-blind placebo acupuncture needles and a no-treatment resting control. Pressure pain threshold and electroencephalogram (EEG) data were collected before and after each intervention. 12 healthy participants completed the study. Results showed that pressure pain thresholds were significantly increased after VGAIT compared to the resting control condition. In addition, we found that VGAIT, but not the no-touch placebo acupuncture or the resting control, significantly increased alpha and beta band power. Our findings demonstrate the potential of VGAIT as a remote therapeutic method (e-health treatment option) for pain and the value of no-touch double-blind placebo acupuncture in acupuncture research.

Keywords: Double-blind placebo needle; E-health; EEG; No-touch placebo needle; Placebo acupuncture; Video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest J.K has a disclosure to report (holding equity in startup companies (MNT, BTT) and a pending patent on VGAIT treatment of chronic pain), but declares no conflict of interest. There are conflict of interest among all authors.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Experimental design: healthy participants were recruited and received VGAIT, no-touch double-blind placebo acupuncture, and resting control in random order.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Pressure pain threshold changes before and after interventions and resting control.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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