Electrical Potential at Acupuncture Points: Using a Novel Biokelvin Probe

Harvard Medical School, Boston MA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): According to conventional wisdom within the acupuncture community, acupuncture points are distinguishable by their electrical properties - specifically, decreased electrical impedance, increased capacitance, and elevated electrical potential compared to non-acupuncture points. The enthusiasm for this view, however, is tempered by the multiple confounders arising from the skin-to-electrode contact required by standard electrodermal devices. As long as the electrode touches the skin, confounders such as electrode pressure and skin moisture are unavoidable and lend to doubts about any conclusion drawn from electrical readings at acupuncture points. The recent development of the Scanning Kelvin Probe allows researchers, for the first time, to bypass these limitations and to help resolve this fifty year old debate. The Scanning Kelvin Probe measures surface electrical potential without actually touching the skin and relies on capacitive coupling between the probe and the sample. Our team has extensive experience with the Scanning Kelvin Probe and have performed preliminary studies in metal, air-water interface, and in vivo human skin. Our long-term objective is to use the Scanning Kelvin Probe to characterize the surface potential of acupuncture points and to apply it to clinical settings. We hypothesize that the Scanning Kelvin Probe will be capable of localizing acupuncture points and providing diagnostic information. This proposal proposes three specific aims to help address this hypothesis: (1) Physiology - to determine the effects of sweat gland density, stratum corneum thickness, and moisture on skin surface potential;and (2) Acupuncture Points - to measure surface potential at select acupuncture points;and (3) Clinical Applications - to assess effects of needling on the electrical potential of acupuncture points. These aims will be addressed by early device modifications and three pilot human studies. To undertake this task, we have assembled a world-class team of multidisciplinary experts that span the fields of physics, biological engineering, computer science, medicine, biology, epidemiology, and East Asian Medicine. This project forms the basis for a subsequent, more definitive study and greatly facilitates the application of this state-of-the-art technology to clinical acupuncture and medicine. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project provides information on the electrical properties of acupuncture points. It may offer important insights into how acupuncture points function and thus provide ways to optimize acupuncture treatments. In addition, it may provide additional insights into the electrophysiological characteristics of the skin, specifically, the epidermis.