Journal of Pharmacopuncture (대한약침학회지)

KOREAN PHARMACOPUNCTURE INSTITUTE (대한약침학회)
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Acupuncture for Attenuating Frontal Lobe α Band Asymmetry Induced by Anger: a pilot study

  • Sung-A Kim (Department of Clinical Korean Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Yujin Choi (KM Science Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine) ;
  • Seung-Hun Cho (Department of Neuropsychiatry, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Kyung Hee University)
  • Received : 2023.06.01
  • Accepted : 2023.08.16
  • Published : 2023.09.30
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Abstract

Objectives: Previous studies have shown that anger can lead to frontal lobe α (8-13 Hz) band asymmetry (FAA) in electroencephalogram (EEG), in accordance with motivational direction. This pilot study aimed to investigate the impact of acupuncture on FAA elicited by anger. Methods: Thirty-four right-handed participants scoring above 75 points on the Novaco Anger Scale were included. Baseline EEG signals were recorded for eight minutes using a 32-channel cap under comfortable conditions. Anger was induced through a nine-minute sequence of Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations (ATSS) task. Following that, participants received acupuncture at GB20 and GB21 for 10 minutes. Fast Fourier transform was employed for frequency analysis, and repeated measure ANOVA was conducted for statistical analysis. Results: The results revealed that participants exhibited significantly higher FAA (p = 0.026), particularly in the left hemisphere, after the ATSS task sequence compared to the baseline. During acupuncture treatment, the greater left-sided FAA was significantly reduced (p = 0.027) and reversed. Upon the cessation of acupuncture, FAA returned to a value between the baseline and the anger-evoked stage (p = 0.046). Conclusion: The EEG results of this study revealed that anger stimulation induced an increase in left-sided FAA, which was effectively alleviated by acupuncture. This led to an immediate restoration of FAA asymmetry induced by anger. These findings suggest the potential of acupuncture as a treatment option for reducing FAA associated with anger.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by the Undergraduate Research Program (URP) grant funded by Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Republic of Korea.

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