Laser Doppler Perfusion Imaging for Assessment of Skin Blood Perfusion After Acupuncture

ABSTRACT Background: Despite its widespread use for centuries, there is still a lack of techniques to show the effects of acupuncture. Microcirculation is the basic physiological condition as it provides nutrition and oxygen to the cells. The laser Doppler technique has been used to measure the blood perfusion of micro blood vessels in human skin. A moving laser beam and detector can measure blood perfusion in a large area rapidly: laser Doppler perfusion imaging (LDPI), which is the most relevant technique in the field. Objective: To study the peripheral effects of acupuncture, changes in peripheral (hand) skin blood perfusion were observed using LDPI. Design, Setting, and Subjects: Measurements were carried out in Beijing, China, on 20 healthy participants (12 women and 8 men, aged 23–53 years) and in Graz, Austria, on 50 healthy volunteers (32 women and 18 men, aged 19–59 years). Intervention: Acupuncture in China was performed on Hegu (LI 4) or a control point on different days. In Austria, acupunctur...