Written by over seventy scientists and clinicians worldwide from China, USA, Germany, Canada, Japan and other countries, this monograph, with nearly 450 figures and tables, covers a wide range of advanced progress in acupuncture research, from experimental research to clinical applications. In addition to exploring the histopathological basis for acupuncture and mathematical simulation of acupoint response to stimulation, initiation and transduction of acupuncture signals and cellular mechanisms during acupuncture effects as well as chemical and physical characteristics of moxibustion on acupoints are broadly discussed. The topics also include novel data on acupuncture effect with advanced imaging techniques, a unique understanding of meridian-viscera correlation, specific interactions between meridians and neurosensory organs within the system of homeostatic regulation and the acupuncture-induced influences on autonomic function. Several chapters introduce specific approaches with dry needling, silver needling and stainless needling for certain diseases, such as myofascitis, supportive care for breast cancer and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy as well as perioperative care of surgical patients. Moreover, this book discusses recent research on acupuncture therapy and potential mechanisms for a number of severe and refractory neurological disorders, including hyperactivity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, orofacial pain, chronic pain, itch, multiple sclerosis, autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, depressive disorders, Alzheimer's disease and ischemic brain injury. The vast amount of information offered in this book provides a comprehensive perspective on advanced acupuncture research to not only acupuncturists, but also to neuroscientists, neurologists, and other clinicians. For medical students and graduate and undergraduate students majoring in biology, physiology and neuroscience, this book offers an advanced course in learning about the mechanism-driven advances in alternative and complementary medicine.

<p><b>Table of Contents</b></p><p>1.            Histopathological Basis for Acupuncture</p><p>Yongming Li*</p><p>2.            Current Advances in Mathematical Models of Initial Response to Mechanical Stimulation at Acupoint</p><p>Wei Yao*</p><p>3.            Signal Transduction in Acupoints</p><p>Xuezhi Wang, Wei Yao, Meng Huang, Di Zhang, Ying Xia, Guanghong Ding*</p><p>4.            Cellular Mechanisms in Acupuncture Effects</p><p>Lina Wang, Ryszard Grygorczyk, Quanbao Gu, Wolfgang Schwarz*</p><p>5.            Chemical and Physical Characteristics of Moxibustion</p><p>Ling Zhao, Xueyong Shen*</p><p>6.            Imaging of Acupuncture's Effects: From bedside to bench</p><p>Kuinyu Lee, Yi Feng*</p><p>7.            Meridians - Neurosensory Organs within the System of Homeostatic Regulation</p><p>Cui Yang, Erfan Ghanad, Nuno Correia, Sebastian Kirch, Jorge Machado, Anna Maimer, Maria João Santos, Henry Johannes Greten*</p><p>8.            Meridian-Viscera Correlationship: Theory and Mechanism of the Heart Meridian-Heart-Brain Interactions</p><p>Zijian Wu, Ronglin Cai, Shengbing Wu, Guoqi Zhu, Shuai Cui, Qing Yu, Jie Wang, Heren Gao, Yiping Zhou*</p><p>9.            Autonomic Function and Electroacupuncture</p><p>Stephanie C. Tjen-A-Looi*, Liang-Wu Fu, Anh T. Nguyen, Yiwei Gong, Shaista Malik</p><p>10.            Understanding of Myofasial Trigger Points: Acupuncture verses Dry Needling</p><p>Qiangmin Huang*, Hui Zhang, Yanru Zhang</p><p>11.            Current Research in Silver Needle Acupuncture for Myofascitis</p><p>Yuan Qin*, Yi Zhao</p><p>12.            Acupuncture in Supportive Care for Breast Cancer Survivors</p><p>Ming Jin, Huijuan Mao*</p><p>13.            Alternative Therapies for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy</p><p>Qiliang Maoying*, Yu Chen, Xiaochen Li</p><p>14.            Acupuncture and Related Techniques for Perioperative Care of Surgical Patients</p><p>Shuming Wang*</p><p>15.            Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal Axis: A Bridge between acupuncture and diseases</p><p>Jing Zhu, Zhanzhuang Tian*</p><p>16.            Neurobiological Mechanism of Acupuncture Analgesia in Chronic Somatic Pain </p> <p>Wei Yang, Teng Chen, Wen-Wen Zhang, Ya-Chen Yang, Jia-He Tian, Yan-Qing Wang*</p><p>17.            Analgesic Effects of Acupuncture on Orofacial Pain</p><p>Yu-Xia Chu*, Teng Chen, Wen-Wen Zhang, Sheng-Jie Zhu</p><p>18.            Itch and the Antipruritic Effect of Acupuncture</p><p>Wenli Mi*, Lixia Du, Yayue Yang</p><p>19.            Acupuncture for Autism Spectrum Disorders</p><p>Zhenhuan Liu*, Bingxu Jin, Yong Zhao</p> <p>20.            Acupuncture Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis</p><p>Jun Wang*, Shuai Wu</p><p>21.            The Clinical and Experimental Study on Acupuncture for Children with Cerebral Palsy</p><p>Zhenhuan Liu*, Bingxu Jin, Yong Zhao</p><p>22.            Beneficial Effect of Acupuncture on Depressive Disorders </p><p>Jin Yu*, Wei Li</p><p>23.            Acupuncture and Alzheimer's Disease</p><p>Yuan Xu, Guoqiang Wen, Tetsuya Asakawa, Ying Xia*</p><p>24.            Acupuncture Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease</p><p>Jian Pei*</p><p>25.            Electroacupuncture against Ischemic Brain Injury: Efficacy, optimal conditions and Mechanisms </p><p>Ying Xia*</p><p><b>Index</b></p><br>