Studying the Neural Mechanisms of Acupuncture on Cardiovascular Function
Acupuncture is based on traditional Chinese medicine and has been researched extensively in numerous medical applications including various types of pain. However, its contributions to improving cardiovascular function have not been studied in detail and remain a mystery. There is a paucity of mechanistic studies using the appropriate animal models that can understand the impact of acupuncture on heart and brain function.
“Findings from this research will address important questions in the field of acupuncture. This will be the first time anyone has studied neural circuits using these advanced viral and genetic tools that will help map acupuncture’s action in the modulation of cardiovascular function,” explained Dr. Zhi-Ling Guo a cardiology researcher from the UCI Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute (SSIHI), who along with Dr. Shaista Malik, SSIHI associate vice chancellor, and Dr. Xiangmin Xu, School of Medicine researcher, put together the winning proposal. |