Auricular Acupuncture and Vagal Regulation

Wei He; Xiaoyu Wang; Hong Shi; Hongyan Shang; Liang Li; Xianghong Jing; Bing Zhu

doi:10.1155/2012/786839

journal article Open Access Jan 01, 2012

Auricular Acupuncture and Vagal Regulation

Wei He

Xiaoyu Wang

Hong Shi

Hongyan Shang Liang Li

Xianghong Jing Bing Zhu

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Vol. 2012 pp. 1-6 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1155/2012/786839

Abstract

Auricular acupuncture has been utilized in the treatment of diseases for thousands of years. Dr. Paul Nogier firstly originated the concept of an inverted fetus map on the external ear. In the present study, the relationship between the auricular acupuncture and the vagal regulation has been reviewed. It has been shown that auricular acupuncture plays a role in vagal activity of autonomic functions of cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems. Mechanism studies suggested that afferent projections from especially the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (ABVN) to the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) form the anatomical basis for the vagal regulation of auricular acupuncture. Therefore, we proposed the “auriculovagal afferent pathway” (AVAP): both the autonomic and the central nervous system could be modified by auricular vagal stimulation via projections from the ABVN to the NTS. Auricular acupuncture is also proposed to prevent neurodegenerative diseases via vagal regulation. There is a controversy on the specificity and the efficacy of auricular acupoints for treating diseases. More clinical RCT trials on auricular acupuncture and experimental studies on the mechanism of auricular acupuncture should be further investigated.

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Published: Jan 01, 2012
Vol/Issue: 2012
Pages: 1-6
License: View

Authors

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Wei He