Análisis de los caracteres tradicionales del deqi y propuesta de un biocircuito desde la teoría general de sistemas

There are various interpretations of deqi in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which has generated debate on how deqi should be explained. Based on the study of classical texts and recent experimental evidence, this contribution proposes a holistic interpretation of deqi, as the sum of the psychoneurophysiological responses triggered during the acupuncture intervention that can be perceived by the patient and the acupuncturist. Such responses have an anatomical, functional, and emergent basis, integrated in a biocircuit consisting of receptors, afferent pathways, processing centres, efferent pathways, and effectors, and reflect feedback between the patient and the acupuncturist.