| When acupuncture was introduced to the West, it was
oversold by some as a panacea for all of humankind’s
ills. While it may not benefit every ailment, it does
greatly help or cure some of them. An interesting
parallel is drawn with neuroimaging. While this
technology sheds light on how we process multiple
stimuli, popular news stories about it threaten to oversell
neuroimaging, thus producing a similar backlash.
The workshop will introduce neuroanatomy, the major
brain imaging modalities (e.g., fMRI, PET, MR spectroscopy),
and describe how imaging data is managed
and analyzed. Participants will review and critique
interesting acupuncture neuroimaging studies. Upon
completion of this workshop, participants will be able
to read the neuroimaging literature more critically
and understand what this technology can and cannot
reveal about acupuncture mechanisms. |