血氧水平依赖脑功能磁共振成像（BOLD-fMRI）研究针刺脑效应已取得了较多的证据，将可能为针刺机制研究提供新的途径。但是，针刺诱导产生的fMRI脑正、负激活效应的神经生理学机制是什么？是否产生了神经递质的变化？特别是针刺后痛觉相关脑区的递质是否变化？是目前必需明确的问题。我们研究表明，手针调制边缘叶-旁边缘叶-新皮层网络、电针作用于边缘叶-前额叶网络，在疼痛时被激活，得气时为负激活。本研究在3T MRI上，采用脑磁共振波谱（1 H MRS）MEGA-PRESS扫描，以及LCModel定量软件，分别检测合谷穴在手针、电针前后的激活脑区：额叶前内侧部/前扣带回，前岛叶，海马/杏仁核，顶叶内后侧部/后扣带回代谢物含量，重点观察兴奋性神经递质谷氨酸/谷氨酰胺，抑制性神经递质γ-氨基丁酸的浓度变化，分析正负激活区内两种脑神经递质变化规律，从递质水平探索针刺BOLD-fMRI信号的神经生物学基础。

BOLD-fMRI is applied to investigate the brain effects of acupuncture successfully recently. However, the activation and deactivation of fMRI in the brain are not yet elucidated in the basis of neurotransmitter. Non-invasive in vivo detection of cortical neurotransmitter concentrations and their changes in the presence of acupuncture may help to better understand the biochemical principles of BOLD-fMRI. Our previous studies showed the manual acupuncture with deqi induced the silent deactivation and strong modulation effects in the limbic-paralimbic-neocortical network; on the other hand, the electroacupuncture with deqi elicited deactivation in the limbic-prefrontal network. Furthermore, the acupuncture with sharp pain activated the limbic-paralimbic-neocortical network. In the present study, acupuncture related changes of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate (Glu) and the inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) will be investigated in the activation and deactivation regions of BOLD-fMRI in healthy volunteers on 3 T MRI with the functional proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). The MEGA-PRESS sequence will be conducted in the resting state, acupuncture and electroacupuncture respectively. LCModel will be applied for analysizing the dynamic metabolite changes. The Glu and GABA concentrations will be compared to the reference non-stimulus condition. The neuromechanism underlying the BOLD signal responses (activation and deactivation ) by acupuncture will be elucidated through the neurotransmitter study. It will facilitate the application of BOLD-fMRI in the neuromechanism research of acupuncture analgesia.