ArticleEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2015
Microcurrent stimulation at shenmen acupoint facilitates EEG associated with sleepiness and positive mood: a randomized controlled electrophysiological study.
Article in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Evaluating the Effectiveness and Safety of Home Facial Antiaging Beauty Devices Based on Meridian and Acupoint Theory.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2025Trial
- Comparative evaluation of effect of microcurrent electrical stimulation on acupoints to control gag reflex in patients receiving prosthodontic treatment: AnJournal of Indian Prosthodontic SocietyTrial
- Efficacy of acupuncture on glucocorticoid-induced insomnia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial assessed by polysomnographic parameters and 5-HT.Frontiers in neurology · 2026Article
- Development of Home Beauty Devices for Facial Rejuvenation: Establishment of Efficacy Evaluation System.Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology · 2024Review
- The effect of auriculotherapy on improving sleep quality in postmenopausal women aged 45-60 years: A clinical trial study.Journal of education and health promotion · 2022Article
- Self-Rated Recovery and Mood Before and After Resistance Training and Muscle Microcurrent Application.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
- Low-Frequency Magnetic Stimulation of Shenmen Acupoint Reduces Blood Oxygen Levels in the Prefrontal Cortex of Healthy Subjects: A Near-Infrared Brain Functional Imaging Study.Chinese journal of integrative medicine · 2021Article
- Auricular Acupressure Therapy for Patients with Cancer with Sleep Disturbance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2021Review
- The Application of Laser Acupuncture in Animal Experiments: A Narrative Review of Biological Aspects.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2021Review
- Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
To examine the electrophysiological effects of microcurrent stimulation at the Shenmen acupoint, 40 healthy normal subjects were randomly assigned to a placebo group (sham stimulation) and an experimental group (bilateral electrocutaneous stimulation at the Shenmen). The following two electroencephalographic indicators were used to measure brain activity. (1) Arousal level was measured with reference to log-transformed absolute alpha power and power source and analyzed using low-resolution electromagnetic tomography and (2) frontal alpha asymmetry was used as an indicator of mood. After real stimulation for 10 minutes, absolute alpha power was globally reduced in the experimental group, particularly in the anterior and centrotemporal regions of the brain. This indicates a decline in the brain activity associated with arousal. Moreover, the reduction was more prominent in the left frontal region, as compared to the right frontal region, resulting in significant increase from negative to positive frontal alpha asymmetry scores and reflecting an increase in the brain activity associated with enhanced mood. However, the placebo group exhibited no significant changes in two indicators after sham stimulation. This study provides initial electrophysiological evidence of changes in brain activity associated with reduced arousal (and thus greater sleepiness) and enhanced mood after microcurrent stimulation at the Shenmen acupoint.
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Registered trials
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