Electro-acupuncture inhibits C-fiber-evoked WDR neuronal activity of the trigeminocervical complex: Neurophysiological hypothesis of a complementary therapy for acute migraine modeled rats
Qu Z, Liu L, Yang Y, Zhao L, Xu X, Li Z, Zhu Y, Jing X, Wang X, Zhang CS, Fisher M, Li B, Wang L · Brain Research · 2020 March
DOI 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146670
Objective
To investigate the neurophysiological mechanism of electro-acupuncture analgesia in an acute migraine rat model, focusing on C-fiber-mediated diffuse noxious inhibitory controls at wide dynamic range neurons in the trigeminocervical complex.
Conclusions
Electro-acupuncture at GB8 rapidly reduced C-fiber-evoked wide dynamic range neuronal discharges in the trigeminocervical complex, providing evidence that diffuse noxious inhibitory controls may underlie its analgesic effect during migraine attacks.
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Insights
Electroacupuncture may rapidly relieve migraine pain by suppressing pain-signalling nerve activity in a brainstem and upper spinal cord pathway.
Rats received either an inflammatory solution applied to the outer brain covering to model migraine or saline solution as a control. The researchers compared electroacupuncture, acupuncture without electrical stimulation, and no acupuncture, while recording activity from individual sensory-processing neurons in the upper cervical spinal cord region connected to the trigeminal pain system.
Electroacupuncture at a point near the side of the head rapidly reduced neuron firing triggered by slow pain-transmitting nerve fibres in the migraine model. The findings suggest that electrical stimulation may engage the body’s diffuse pain-inhibition system, providing a distinct mechanism from treatments that primarily affect faster sensory nerve fibres.
