[Analysis on acupoint effects based on the characteristics of insular cortex in integrating somatosensory and visceral information].

Abstract

The insular cortex contains corresponding somatosensory region and visceral motor region, which respectively process somatic and visceral information. Through short-range fiber projections, it can integrate somatosensory information and modulate visceral functions. The insular cortex has a close connection with the autonomic nervous system and is a key hub for regulating the autonomic nervous system, making it a potential target for revealing the correlation between acupoints and internal organs. The unique "visceral localization" characteristics and the spatial distribution of neuronal functions in the insular cortex provide a neurological basis for elucidating the "multi-effects of one acupoint" or "bidirectional regulation" of the acupoints. Future researches should focus on the targeted regulation of different acupoints through different regions of the insular cortex, and further analyze the regulatory effect between acupoints and internal organs through the insular-autonomic nerve-target organ reflex pathway.