Brain is the House of Yuanshen

Brain is the House of Yuanshen

The phrase the "Brain is the House of Yuanshen" is used in "Bencao Gangmu" in order to explain the reason why magnolia flower is good for sinus problems; however, the ideas on the relationship between the brain and the nose originate from "Huangdi Neijing" and those on the relationship between the brain and Yuanshen come from Taoism. It was "Bencao Beiyao" that combined the theory with the Western idea that "someone's memory is in the brain". The idea of the brain staying on as memory had great impact on "Leizheng Zhicai" and "Yilin Gaicuo", but again in "Yixue Zhongzhong Sanxilu" it claimed that "Yuanshen is in the brain" from Taoism's point of view, and it criticized the theory of the brain derived from the Western world. In this paper, the meaning of "Brain is the House of Yuanshen" in "Bencao Gangmu" is examined, along with the influence this idea had on the subsequent theories of medicine.

Source: Okuno S. On the "Brain is the House of Yuanshen" in "Bencao Gangmu"; from Li Shizhen to Zhang Xichun. Nihon Ishigaku Zasshi. 2011 Mar;57(1):39-50.

Hua Tuo, the Good Doctor

Hua Tuo, the Good Doctor

Hua Tuo (c. 108–208 AD), the Chinese surgical pioneer and herbal expert, excelled as a physician, making significant strides in anesthesia, surgery, and acupuncture. He is accredited for spearheading the practice of laparotomies and organ transplants, using anesthetics, and he was the first Chinese surgeon to operate on the abdomen including performing splenectomy and colostomy. Neurologically, Hua Tuo is said to have performed procedures to treat headache, paralysis, and suspected a brain tumor in one patient. Tuo’s impact on medicine was so profound that the phrases “A Second Hua Tuo” or “Hua Tuo reincarnated” were coined in honor of his diligence and compassion to recognize outstanding physicians who demonstrate an equal caliber of surgical competence. It is the pioneering contributions to medicine and surgery as made by such physicians as Hua Tuo on which we base our current understanding.

Source:  R. Shane Tubbs & Sheryl Riech & Ketan Verma & Joshua Chern & Martin Mortazavi & Aaron A. Cohen-Gadol. China’s first surgeon: Hua Tuo (c. 108–208 AD). Childs Nerv Syst (2011) 27:1357–1360

Acupuncture Points Are Different

Acupuncture Points Are Different

A study was conducted to investigate the distribution of monoamine transmitters at acupoints and effect of acupuncture on it. Take this experiment by means of microdialysis. Twenty rabbits were randomly assigned to two groups (Group A: acupuncture Guanyuan (RN4), Group B: acupuncture nonacupoint which is besides Guanyuan (RN4) 1 cm). Before and after acupuncture was taken, tissue fluids both at Zhongwan (RN12) which is on the same meridian as Guanyuan and at a nonacupoint 1 cm away from Zhongwan were collected through microdialysis, respectively. The collected samples were analyzed to determine concentrations of monoamine transmitters. Epinephrine and 5-HT were detected. An unknown substance was found. Its concentration at acupoint was significantly higher than that at nonacupoint and decreased after acupuncture. Its significant specificity at acupoints suggests that it may play an important role in meridian's activity. 

Source: Luo T, Guo Y. Specificity study on concentration of monoamine transmitters at acupoint and effect of acupuncture on its distribution. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:704507.

Acupuncture for Refractory Epilepsy

Acupuncture for Refractory Epilepsy

Neurostimulation procedures like vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and deep brain stimulation have been used to treat refractory epilepsy and other neurological disorders. While holding promise, they are invasive interventions with serious complications and adverse effects. Moreover, their efficacies are modest with less seizure free. Acupuncture is a simple, safe, and effective traditional healing modality for a wide range of diseases including pain and epilepsy. Thalamus takes critical role in sensory transmission and is highly involved in epilepsy genesis particularly the absence epilepsy. Considering thalamus serves as a convergent structure for both acupuncture and VNS and the thalamic neuronal activities can be modulated by acupuncture, we propose that acupuncture could be a promising therapy or at least a screening tool to select suitable candidates for those invasive modalities in the management of refractory epilepsy.

Source: Chen S, Wang S, Rong P, Liu J, Zhang H, Zhang J. Acupuncture for refractory epilepsy: role of thalamus. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:950631.