Date of Award
2011
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
October 2026
Abstract
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat a wide range of diseases, but the mechanisms involved in the process have remained a mystery. The present study measures EEG responses to stimulation of a specific acupuncture point, GB37 (Guang Ming), with two different types of manual needle stimulation. Previous studies stimulated for a maximum of 2 minutes. The present study reflects the normal acupuncture treatment time of 20 minutes, with EEG recordings during and for 10 minutes prior to and after stimulation. Our results show no changes in the global spatial and temporal properties of EEG during and shortly after acupuncture treatment of acupoint GB37. The second part of this study examines the global protein expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) knockout mice. GAD is the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of GABA, the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. The protein content of wild type, hetero-, and homozygous GAD knockout mice brains were determined using a LC-MS-based gel-free shotgun profiling of complex protein mixtures. The data was analyzed using the Raculovic algorithm to determine the proteins differences. A short list of 32 proteins was determined with four that have been shown to be significant proteins that influence cell survival and excitotoxicity in the brain and have potential relationships with GABA. These proteins include VATPase, Glutamine synthetase, Beta-synuclein, and Micortuble associated protein (MAP). The proteomics results provide a preliminary best guess list of proteins influencing GAD and GABA production.
Extent
ix, 113 p. : ill. (some col.)
Recommended Citation
Marshall, Michael L., "Neurotransmitter systems and EEG related to acupuncture" (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019. 346.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general_6/346
Identifier
FADT3318669
Comments
by Michael L. Marshall.|Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011.|Includes bibliography.|Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.|by Michael L. Marshall.