Previous neuroimaging studies on acupuncture have primarily adopted functional connectivity analysis associated with one or a few preselected brain regions. Few have investigated how these brain regions interacted at the whole brain level. In this study, we sought to investigate the acupoint specificity by exploring the whole brain functional connectivity analysis on the post-stimulus resting brain modulated by acupuncture at acupoint PC6, with the same meridian acupoint PC7 and different meridian acupoint GB37. We divided the whole brain into 90 regions and analyzed functional connectivity for each condition. Then we identified statistically significant differences in functional correlations throughout the entire brain following acupuncture at PC6 in comparison with PC7 as well as GB37. For direct comparisons, increased correlations for PC6 compared to PC7 were primarily between the prefrontal regions and the limbic/paralimbic and subcortical regions, whereas decreased correlations were mainly between the parietal regions and the limbic/paralimbic and subcortical regions. On the other hand, increased correlations for PC6 compared to GB37 were primarily between the prefrontal regions and somatosensory regions, whereas decreased correlations were mainly related with the occipital regions. Our findings demonstrated that acupuncture at different acupoints may exert heterogeneous modulatory effects on the post-stimulus resting brain, providing new evidences for the relatively function-oriented specificity of acupuncture effects.

Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2011 Aug;2011:2784-7. Feng Y, Bai L, Zhang W, Ren Y, Xue T, Wang H, Zhong C, Tian J.

Colleen K. Dodt has been an herbalist and aromatherapist for more than 25 years. She is the author of Natural BabyCare and The Essential Oils Book, and she is the owner of Herbal Endeavors, Ltd., in Rochester Hills, Michigan. She lives in Michigan.

For more information visit: www.storey.com.

Erotomania is the delusional belief that one is loved from afar by another person (the target). This study used hypnosis as a novel cognitive neuropsychological research tool to model erotomania. The authors developed 2 versions of a hypnotic erotomania suggestion and tested their impact by asking subjects to recall and interpret a story featuring ambiguous scenarios. They also challenged the delusion by asking subjects to justify their beliefs. The hypnotic erotomania suggestions successfully recreated the features of the clinical delusion for many high hypnotizable subjects. They believed that the target loved them, interpreted ambiguous information consistent with this belief and confabulated evidence in service of their delusion. Some also resisted all challenges to their delusion. These features are strikingly similar to clinical cases and highlight the value of using hypnosis to model clinical delusions. The authors also discuss some limitations of this approach.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2012;60(1):1-30. Attewell JE, Cox RE, Barnier AJ, Langdon R. Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.

This study (N = 37 with high, medium, and low hypnotizables) evaluated depth reports and EEG activity during both voluntary and hypnotically induced left-arm lifting with sLORETA functional neuroimaging. The hypnotic condition was associated with higher activity in fast EEG frequencies in anterior regions and slow EEG frequencies in central-parietal regions, all left-sided. The voluntary condition was associated with fast frequency activity in right-hemisphere central-parietal regions and slow frequency activity in left anterior regions. Hypnotizability did not have a significant effect on EEG activity, but hypnotic depth correlated with left hemisphere increased anterior slow EEG and decreased central fast EEG activity. Hypnosis had a minimal effect on depth reports among lows, a moderate one among mediums, and a large one among highs. Because only left-arm data were available, the full role of the hemispheres remains to be clarified.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2012;60(1):31-53. Cardeña E, Lehmann D, Faber PL, Jönsson P, Milz P, Pascual-Marqui RD, Kochi K. Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. Etzel.Cardena@psychology.lu.se

As a nationally known psychotherapist and teacher, Zoilita has dedicated her life to helping people heal themselves. She works with clients to get to the root of mental and emotional issues to find a happier, healthier existence. Her career has taken her across the U.S. and Canada, where she has worked for the military, nonprofit and private sectors, providing her with the opportunity to help thousands of people. Since 1993, she has had a private psychotherapy practice in Boulder, Colorado, and in 1997 she began to produce and market Tools for Transformation, a series of tapes, manuals, kits and books on self healing and self empowerment.

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by Tim Brunson, PhD

Why does anyone still smoke? Just about everywhere you go nowadays you see signs that clearly state that smoking is not allowed. Yet despite all of the sanctions, taxes, peer pressure, and with over 440,000 deaths every year in the US, there remain millions of hardcore tobacco users who just don't seem to want or be able to stop this habit.

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A new combination of acupoints with opposite locations in clinic was proposed according to the running course of meridians and the relation between meridians and acupoints in order to enrich the theory of acupuncture-moxibustion and enhance the therapeutic effect. Points with opposite location refers to bigeminal acupoints locates at the medial and lateral aspects of the limbs or at the anterior or posterior aspects of the trunk, such as Neiguan (PC 6) and Waiguan (TE 5), Quchi (LI 11) and Shaohai (HT 3) as well as Yinlingquan (SP 9) and Yanglingquan (GB 34). Those pairs of points locate respectively at yin meridians and yang meridians with opposite locations or at meridians interiorly and exteriorly related with each other. The application of the combination and the therapeutic effects can be found both in ancient and modern time. Its theoretical foundation rests with the theory of yin-yang and meridians, which takes yin-yang as the core. The characteristics of the combination are as the follows: firstly, it can regulate yin and yang, qi and blood at the same time. Secondly, yin and yang can influence each other; it is easy to locate the other point when one of the pair is located, and it is easy to manipulate by needling two points oppositely at the same time or doing through-and-through needling. The technique is also known with its selection of less point but better effect.

This study tests the proposal that hypnotic responding is effortless. The authors compared the responses of high and low hypnotizable participants (N = 70) in and out of hypnosis on a dual-task paradigm in which they were required to maintain hypnotic blindness during presentation of visual stimuli of varying salience intensities while simultaneously completing a secondary task. Whereas high hypnotizable participants in both hypnosis and wake conditions reported comparable levels of conviction in the hallucination suggestion, hypnotized highs performed poorer on the secondary task when the stimulus was present. Performance on the secondary task deteriorated when the visual stimulus was intensified. These findings contradict the notion that hypnotic response is not demanding on cognitive resources and suggest that increased effort is required to resolve the extent of conflict between reality and suggestion.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2012;60(1):67-80. Wyzenbeek M, Bryant RA. University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Cerebral blood flow was measured in normal waking (alert relaxed mental imagery) and hypnotic states. Mean flow velocity (Vm) in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) was significantly increased in hypnosis (Condition II) from Condition I (5 minutes before hypnotic induction). Vm decreased in Condition III (hypnotic imagination). After hypnosis, Vm values returned to baseline. Pulsatility index values and resistive index values showed significant variations during sonographic monitoring between Conditions I and IV (5 minutes after the completion of hypnosis). Both values were significantly higher in Condition I than IV. These findings show that hypnotic status can modulate cerebral blood flow.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2012;60(1):81-7. Uslu T, Ilhan A, Ozcan O, Turkoglu D, Ersoy A, Celik E. Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: About one in every three adults are affected by lower limb muscle cramps. For some people, these cramps reduce quality of life, quality of sleep and participation in activities of daily living. Many interventions are available for lower limb cramps, but some are controversial, no treatment guidelines exist, and often people experience no benefit from the interventions prescribed. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of non-drug, non-invasive treatments for lower limb cramp. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Neuromuscular Disease Group Specialized Register (13 September 2011) using the terms: cramp, spasm, contracture, charley horse and lower limb, lower extremity, foot, calf, leg, thigh, gastrocnemius, hamstring, quadriceps. We also searched CENTRAL (2011, Issue 3), MEDLINE (January 1966 to August 2011) and EMBASE (January 1980 to August 2011) and the reference lists of included studies. There were no language or publication restrictions. SELECTION CRITERIA: All randomised controlled trials of non-drug, non-invasive interventions trialled over at least four weeks for the prevention of lower limb muscle cramps in any group of people. We excluded, for example, surgery, acupuncture and dry-needling, as invasive interventions. We selected only trials that included at least one of the following outcomes: cramp frequency, cramp severity, health-related quality of life, quality of sleep, participation in activities of daily living and adverse outcomes. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently selected trials, assessed risk of bias and cross checked data extraction and analysis. A third author was to arbitrate in the event of disagreement. We asked the authors of five trials for information to assist with screening studies for eligibility and received four responses. MAIN RESULTS: One trial was eligible for inclusion. All participants were age 60 years or over and had received a repeat prescription from their general practitioner of quinine for nighttime cramps in the preceding three months. This review includes data from only those participants who were advised to continue taking quinine. Forty-nine participants were advised to complete lean-to-wall calf muscle stretching held for 10 s three times per day. Forty-eight participants were allocated to a placebo stretching group. After 12 weeks, there was no statistically significant difference in recalled cramp frequency between groups. No "significant" adverse effect was reported. Limitations in the study's design impede interpretation of the results and clinical applicability. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is limited evidence on which to base clinical decisions regarding the use of non-drug therapies for the treatment of lower limb muscle cramp. Serious methodological limitations in the existing evidence hinder clinical application. There is an urgent need to carefully evaluate many of the commonly recommended and emerging non-drug therapies in well designed randomised controlled trials.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012 Jan 18;1:CD008496. Blyton F, Chuter V, Walter KE, Burns J. School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, The University of Newcastle, Health Precinct, PO Box 127, Ourimbah, NSW, Australia, 2258.

Full title: Auricular acupuncture effectively reduces state anxiety before dental treatment-a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to analyse whether auricular acupuncture, acupuncture at the outer ear, could reduce state anxiety before dental treatment. METHODS: This prospective, randomised patient-blinded study with 182 patients compared anxiety before dental treatment following auricular acupuncture at the relaxation-, tranquillizer- and master cerebral points (auricular acupuncture group) versus acupuncture at sham points (finger-, shoulder- and tonsil points; sham group) and a non-intervention control group. Anxiety was assessed using the Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory (German version) before auricular acupuncture and 20 min thereafter, immediately before dental treatment. RESULTS: Auricular acupuncture reduced state anxiety score more effectively from 54.7?±?10.8 to 46.9?±?10.4 (mean ± SD) than sham acupuncture from 51.9?±?10.2 to 48.4?±?10.0. In contrast, state anxiety in the control group increased from 51.0?±?11.7 to 54.0?±?11.6 (mean increase +3.0; CI +4.7 to +1.2). The decrease in state anxiety in both intervention groups was statistically significant (p? Clin Oral Investig. 2012 Jan 6. Michalek-Sauberer A, Gusenleitner E, Gleiss A, Tepper G, Deusch E. Department of Special Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria, andrea.michalek-sauberer@meduniwien.ac.at.

Dr. Valnet - a medical doctor in Paris, France - experimented with essential oils in the post World War II years, and experienced amazing results. Jean Valnet was a pioneer in the field of aromatherapy. With Rene Maurice Gattefosse, Doctor Valnet can be regarded as one of the founders of modern Aromatherapy. He created his own blends with the essential oils. Dr. Jean Valnet was born on June 27, 1920 in Chalon-sur-Marne, France. He died May 29, 1995.

Valnet studied with the Military Academy of the Arrow, the School of the Military Department of Health and the Medical college of Lyon. He earned many diplomas and amongst them one in Medicine and another in Psychology.

For more information visit: www.natural-pregnancy-mentor.com.

Full title: Electromyographic investigation of hypnotic arm levitation: differences between voluntary arm elevation and involuntary arm levitation.

Thirty-three volunteers were randomly exposed to 3 conditions: hypnotic arm levitation, holding up the arm voluntarily without hypnosis, and imagined arm lifting without hypnosis. Trapezius, deltoid, extensor digitorum, flexor digitorum profundus, biceps brachii, and triceps brachii muscles were measured. Strain and muscle activity during lifting and holding up the right arm for 3 minutes were used as dependent variables. During hypnotic arm levitation, the total muscle activity was lower than during holding it up voluntarily (p < .01); the activity in the deltoid was 27% lower (p < .001). Without hypnosis, the muscle activity showed a positive correlation with strain. However, there was no such correlation in the hypnotic condition. Apparently, it is possible to reduce strain and to objectively measure muscle activity in an uplifted arm through hypnotic arm levitation.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2012;60(1):88-110. Peter B, Schiebler P, Piesbergen C, Hagl M. Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Germany. Burkhard-Peter@t-online.de

Full title: Acupuncture therapy for infants: a preliminary report on reasons for consultation, feasibility, and tolerability.

Objectives/aims: The aim of this retrospective review was to determine the feasibility, safety, and potential therapeutic effects of acupuncture in an inpatient infant population and to obtain data that would support the design of a randomized, controlled trial of acupuncture in infants. Background:? Hospitalized infants are often exposed to sedative and analgesic medications to facilitate intensive and invasive medical care. With increasing concern about the potential neurotoxic effects of common analgesic and sedative medications, minimizing an infant's exposure to such agents is desirable. Acupuncture can be therapeutic in adults and children, but data in infants are lacking. Methods/materials: We performed a retrospective chart review of infants who received acupuncture during hospitalizations between 2008 and 2010. Demographic data, diagnoses, reason for acupuncture consult, ventilator settings, sedative/analgesic medication regimens, details of acupuncture therapy, and adverse effects were among data collected. Results:? Ten infants were identified in this review, seven of whom had agitation issues, two of whom had feeding difficulties, and one had both symptoms. Six of the eight infants with agitation had a decrease in the use of sedative and analgesic medications over the acupuncture therapy period, and four of five initially requiring mechanical ventilation were successfully weaned. One of the three infants with oral aversion transitioned rapidly to oral intake. Acupuncture therapy was well tolerated, and there were no complications observed. Conclusions: In this small group of hospitalized infants, acupuncture was found to be safe, well tolerated, and therapeutic. More studies are warranted to define the role of acupuncture in this population.

© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Paediatr Anaesth. 2011 Dec 6. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-9592.2011.03743.x. Gentry KR, McGinn KL, Kundu A, Lynn AM. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA ?Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Herbert Spiegel, MD, was a pioneer in American psychiatry and the field of hypnosis, which he first started using as an army psychiatrist posted at Fort Meade, Maryland. He served as a battalion surgeon during the invasion of North Africa and later in the Tunisian campaign. On the battlefield, Spiegel used hypnosis for quick symptom resolution and pain control. He was wounded in action on May 7, 1943, and was awarded a Purple Heart for his courage and bravery. When Spiegel was evacuated back to America, he began writing about short-term treatment strategies based on cognitive restructuring, hypnosis, and other clinical techniques. This article details his early life and career.

Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2012;60(1):121-34. Frischholz EJ, Nichols LE, Godot D. Northshore University HealthSystem, Skokie, Illinois, USA. EJFPHD@gmail.com

Dick Sutphen is President of the American Board of Hypnotherapy and author of the million-copy bestseller, You Were Born Again to be Together. He has a private hypnosis practice in Westlake Village, California. He has created 300 mind-programming CD's.

For more information visit: http://www.DickSutphen.com

Persistent nausea of pregnancy is often caused by some unresolved emotional or psychological issue that can be rapidly resolved through hypnosis. Four cases of women who were nauseated throughout their pregnancy were treated with a brief form of hypnosis that used a psychodynamic investigation of the cause of the problem. David Cheek's ideomotor questioning was used to discover the reason for the disturbance; once uncovered, the solution was obvious and quick.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2011 Oct;54(2):107-15. Madrid A, Giovannoli R, Wolfe M. Russian River Counselors, Monte Rio, California 95462, USA. madrid@sonic.net

Abstract Although dyspnea is frequently encountered in the palliative care setting, its optimal management remains uncertain. Clinical approaches begin with accurate assessment, as delineated in part one of this two-part series. Comprehensive dyspnea assessment, which encompasses the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of this complex symptom, guide the clinician in choosing therapeutic approaches herein presented as part two. Global management of dyspnea is appropriate both as complementary to disease-targeted treatments that target the underlying etiology, and as the sole focus when the symptom has become intractable, disease is maximally treated, and goals of care shift to comfort and quality of life. In this setting, current evidence supports the use of oral or parenteral opioids as the mainstay of dyspnea management, and of inhaled furosemide and anxiolytics as adjuncts. Nonpharmacologic interventions such as acupuncture and pulmonary rehabilitation have potential effectiveness, although further research is needed, and use of a simple fan warrants consideration given its potential benefit and minimal burden and cost.

J Palliat Med. 2012 Jan;15(1):106-14. Kamal AH, Maguire JM, Wheeler JL, Currow DC, Abernethy AP. 1 Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University Medical Center , Durham, North Carolina.

Katrina McFerran is Senior Lecturer in music therapy at the University of Melbourne, Australia. She specialises in music therapy with adolescents, and her clinical work spans a range of community and institutional settings, from palliative care to mental health and special education. Katrina has worked with a wide range of teenagers, including those struggling to cope with bereavement, substance misuse, homelessness, mental illness, chronic illness and a variety of disabilities.

This functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) study investigated high and low suggestible people responding to two visual hallucination suggestions with and without a hypnotic induction. Participants in the study were asked to see color while looking at a grey image, and to see shades of grey while looking at a color image. High suggestible participants reported successful alterations in color perception in both tasks, both in and out of hypnosis, and showed a small benefit if hypnosis was induced. Low suggestible people could not perform the tasks successfully with or without the hypnotic induction. The fMRI results supported the self report data, and changes in brain activity were found in a number of visual areas. The results indicate that a hypnotic induction, although having the potential to enhance the ability of high suggestible people, is not necessary for the effective alteration of color perception by suggestion.

Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Conscious Cogn. 2011 Nov 26. McGeown WJ, Venneri A, Kirsch I, Nocetti L, Roberts K, Foan L, Mazzoni G. Department of Psychology, University of Hull, UK.

OBJECTIVES: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) can produce severe neurological deficits and neuropathic pain and is a potential reason for terminating or suspending chemotherapy treatments. Specific and effective curative treatments are lacking. METHODS: A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic effect of acupuncture on CIPN as measured by changes in nerve conduction studies (NCS) in six patients treated with acupuncture for 10 weeks in addition to best medical care and five control patients who received the best medical care but no specific treatment for CIPN. RESULTS: In five of the six patients treated with acupuncture, NCS improved after treatment. In the control group, three of five patients did not show any difference in NCS, one patient improved and one showed impaired NCS. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that acupuncture has a positive effect on CIPN. The encouraging results of this pilot study justify a randomised controlled trial of acupuncture in CIPN on the basis of NCS.

Acupunct Med. 2011 Dec 5. Schroeder S, Meyer-Hamme G, Epplée S. 1HanseMerkur Center for TCM at the University Medical Centre, Hamburg, Germany.

Daniel J. Schneck is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the Biomedical Engineering Society. He has published widely (including 18 books) and is an international consultant on basic physiological function and the role of music in human adaptation. He is also an accomplished violinist and continues to perform professionally.

In laboratory research, hypnotic suggestions have increased simple learning performance. There is also evidence that hypnosis may be used to increase higher level cognitive processes such as reading speed and listening omprehension. But using a traditional, relaxed, eyes-closed induction made it difficult to read and take tests and do other activities involved in independent academic performance. The subsequent development and refinement of an alert, eyes-open induction and appropriate suggestions made it possible for students to significantly increase reading comprehension and academic performance.

Am J Clin Hypn. 2011 Oct;54(2):96-106. Wark DM. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. wark@umn.edu

Phil Benjamin is a widely experienced clinical hypnotherapist and hypnotherapy lecturer. He is a Fellow of the British Society for Clinical Hypnosis (BSCH). He is also a Honorary Senior Tutor, St George's Medical School, University of London

In his central London practices he uses hypnotherapy to help resolve a vast range of issues, and encourage patients to bring out the best in themselves. He is a qualified pilot and so gives special attention to flying phobics and has a very successful treatment regimen. He also has a reputation for the treatment of certain male sexual issues whether one-on-one or via his CDs, which are available from this website, here.

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by Tim Brunson PhD

There is a superhero obsession in Eastern and Western culture. Just look at the Hollywood box office hits for the past several years. Titles like Spiderman, Batman Returns, Daredevil, X-Men and even the Harry Potter series are just a handful of an army of such movies. Add to this a steady fare of similar fictional stories that find there way into our homes via our cable television provider. Yes, even hit series like Heroes and 4400 continue satisfying our craving for stories about magical human potential. Other than importing these movies and shows to their theaters, our Eastern cousins have always had their martial arts heroes, which they have often exported back to us in the forms of Bruce Lee, Jet Li and Jackie Chan.

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