LR3-LI4 needling side and configuration are associated with phase-specific cortical activation and network organization: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study in healthy adults
Xie Y, Ouyang H, Zhang X, Zheng X, Liang H, Fu W · Frontiers in Neurology · 2026 August 13
DOI 10.3389/fneur.2026.1815369
Objective
To investigate whether dominant-side, non-dominant-side, and bilateral acupuncture at LR3-LI4 produce comparable phase-specific cortical hemodynamic responses and functional network changes in healthy right-handed adults.
Conclusions
The study found that acupuncture needling configuration was associated with distinct phase-specific cortical response patterns, with dominant-side acupuncture producing greater retention-phase prefrontal oxygenated hemoglobin activation, non-dominant-side acupuncture producing a more somatosensory-dominant pattern, and bilateral acupuncture producing attenuated retention-phase responses followed by post-removal network changes.
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