UI - 000014

AU - Omura Y

TI - Patho-physiology of acupuncture effects, ACTH and morphine-like substances, pain, phantom

sensations (phantom pain, itch and coldness), brain micro-circulation, and memory

AB - IN: Heart Disease Research Foundation, New York, NY LA: English AB: Suggests that, although

acupuncture is being gradually integrated by many US physicians into their daily practice of medicine, other

scientists, physicians, and academicians are still claiming that acupuncture has no scientific basis or is only a

form of hypnosis. A narrow approach to acupuncture research limits itself to study of the nervous system,

although there are equally important effects in the circulatory and endocrine systems. Previous research by

the author has shown that acupuncture effects on the microcirculatory system can normally be classified into

3 consecutively changing phases: vasoconstriction, quasi-control, and vasodilation of capillaries and

arterioles. Vasodilation effects are often accompanied by significant blood chemistry and complete blood

count changes, most of which resemble ACTH effects. Changes such as generalized vasodilation effects can

give various degrees of improvement in insomnia, irritability, impaired learning, memory, and brain

circulation. Pain threshold to electrical stimulation is often enhanced by acupuncture in the acupunctured

area, without respiratory depressant effect characteristics of opiates. The author proposes a concept of

"coded stored memory molecules" for chronic pain and phantom sensation, using examples of phantom pain,

phantom itch, and phantom coldness. The interrelationship of the effects of morphine derivaties and their

analogs and antagonists and acupuncture is discussed. (French & German abstracts) (40 ref) (PsycLIT

Database Copyright 1979 American Psychological Assn, all rights reserved) KP: molecular memory codes

for chronic & phantom pain; role of acupuncture & ACTH & morphine derivatives in pain reduction AN:

61-00418

SO - Acupuncture and Electro Therapeutics Research 1977;2:1-31