Cerebral regional homogeneity of peripheral facial paralysis treated by acupuncture: a resting-state fMRI study

Objective: To analyze the changes of regional homogeneity and explore the central mechanisms through the treatment of peripheral facial paralysis with acupuncture in the different pathological stages. Materials and Methods: 32 healthy adult volunteers and 47 patients with peripheral facial paralysis participated in the study. Resting-state fMRI were acquired for each volunteer and patient. The ReHo approach was used to compare the peripheral facial paralysis groups of different pathological stages to healthy group. Results: Compared to healthy group,(1) In the early group, the increased ReHo areas were showed in the right superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and the left precuneus, posterior cingulated gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, while the decreased areas were showed in the right inferior temporal gyrus, cuneus and precuneus.(2) In the later group, the increased ReHo were found in the left SII, superior temporal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, paracentral lobule, cuneus, precuneus, and the right inferior frontal gyrus.(3) In the recovered group, the increased ReHo were found in the left paracentral lobule, fusiform gyrus and superior temporal gyrus. Conclusions: The brain areas of the premotor cortex(PMA), supplementary motor area(SMA) were likely to be the key areas of compensatory and brain functional reorganization in patients with peripheral facial paralysis. These areas may be the key regions for integration and modulation in the patients suffering from peripheral facial paralysis treated by acupuncture.