Acupuncture Increases the Excitability of the Cortico-Spinal System in Patients with Chronic Disorders of Consciousness Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the immediate effect of acupuncture on cortico spinal tract (CST) activity in patients with chronic disorders of consciousness (DOC) after traumatic brain injury (TBI) by measuring motor-evoked potential (MEP) using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Design: Changes in several variables in the acupuncture session were compared with those in the control session without acupuncture in the same patients. Setting: Chubu Medical Center for Prolonged Traumatic Brain Dysfunction, Gifu, Japan. Patients: Fourteen patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 39 ± 17 years; 12 men) with chronic DOC (5 in a vegetative state and 9 in a minimally conscious state) following severe TBI. Intervention: Acupuncture treatment was performed at GV 26, Ex-HN 3, bilateral LI 4, and ST 36 for 10 minutes. Outcome measures: Main outcome measure was MEP amplitude. MEP amplitude, measured by using TMS on the primary motor cortex, was recorded from the abductor pollicis brevis muscle. MEP recordings w...