Wei Nengrun, Wang Zuobin (Department of Otorhinolaryngology, 1st Teaching Hospital, Wuhan Medical College)
It has been demonstrated by long term clinical observation that the efficacy of acupuncture in treatment of hysterical and psychological deafness was remarkable and stable. The deaf-mute cases, in whom there is residual hearing, gained a subjective improvement of hearing, but it couldn't be illustrated in audiometry. The authors made an attempt to explain this clinical experience and to explore its mechanism by animal experiment.
6 guinea-pigs weighing 470-750 grams and about half year old were used. The animals had normal eardrum and auricular pinnae and positive Preyer's auricular reflex. According to Liangzhian's method, the cochlear microphonic potentials, eighth cranial nerve compound action potentials and cortical (auditory) evoked potentials during acupuncture were studied and photographically recorded. Two acupuncture points corresponding anatomically to Tinggong and Yongquan in human were used in this series. Needling of the cornea of each guinea-pig was used as a control. The main results and preliminary conclusions were as follows:
1. Acupuncture doesn't influence cochlear microphonic potentials. This finding agrees with the clinical experience that the deaf without residual hearing can't get a subjective improvement of hearing despite needling.
2. During needling of the cornea there is an alteration in cortical evoked potentials represented chiefly by raised excitation which subsided in about half an hour. This finding also agrees with the clinical fact that the subjective improvement of hearing usually last for a short period and can't be demonstrated in audiogram afterwards.
3. Needling of the cornea causes similar alteration in cortical evoked potentials as that caused by needling of Tinggong point. This finding shows that acupuncture may be of relative specification or of non-specific nature. In addition, it is perhaps possible to explain the mechanism of analgesic effect of acupuncture by the cortical inhibition following its excitation.
4. Needling has no effect or shows an inhibitory effect upon the activity of eighth cranial nerve.
It has been demonstrated by long term clinical observation that the efficacy of acupuncture in treatment of hysterical and psychological deafness was remarkable and stable. The deaf-mute cases, in whom there is residual hearing, gained a subjective improvement of hearing, but it couldn't be illustrated in audiometry. The authors made an attempt to explain this clinical experience and to explore its mechanism by animal experiment.
6 guinea-pigs weighing 470-750 grams and about half year old were used. The animals had normal eardrum and auricular pinnae and positive Preyer's auricular reflex. According to Liangzhian's method, the cochlear microphonic potentials, eighth cranial nerve compound action potentials and cortical (auditory) evoked potentials during acupuncture were studied and photographically recorded. Two acupuncture points corresponding anatomically to Tinggong and Yongquan in human were used in this series. Needling of the cornea of each guinea-pig was used as a control. The main results and preliminary conclusions were as follows:
1. Acupuncture doesn't influence cochlear microphonic potentials. This finding agrees with the clinical experience that the deaf without residual hearing can't get a subjective improvement of hearing despite needling.
2. During needling of the cornea there is an alteration in cortical evoked potentials represented chiefly by raised excitation which subsided in about half an hour. This finding also agrees with the clinical fact that the subjective improvement of hearing usually last for a short period and can't be demonstrated in audiogram afterwards.
3. Needling of the cornea causes similar alteration in cortical evoked potentials as that caused by needling of Tinggong point. This finding shows that acupuncture may be of relative specification or of non-specific nature. In addition, it is perhaps possible to explain the mechanism of analgesic effect of acupuncture by the cortical inhibition following its excitation.
4. Needling has no effect or shows an inhibitory effect upon the activity of eighth cranial nerve.
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