Objective

2

Based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging （rs-fMRI）， this study observed the effects of plum-blossom needling on myopia in children and adolescents and explored the neural mechanism in the visual cortex using functional connectivity （FC） analysis.

Methods

2

A total of 80 children aged 6–12 years with low-to-moderate myopia （160 eyes） who visited the Optometry Center and Ophthalmology Department of Eye Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences between February 2023 and April 2024 were enrolled. Using a randomized controlled， single-blind design， participants were randomly assigned to Group 1 （

n

=40） or Group 2 （

n

=40） by random number table. Group 1 received plum-blossom needle tapping at Dazhui （GV 14）， Baihui （GV 20）， bilateral Cuanzhu （BL 2）， Yuyao （EX-HN 4）， Taiyang （EX-HN 5）， Muchuang （GB 16）， Fengchi （GB 20）， Hegu （LI 4）， and Neiguan （PC 6）. Group 2 received tapping

at bilateral Cuanzhu （BL 2）， Yuyao （EX-HN 4）， Sizhukong （TE 23）， Taiyang （EX-HN 5）， Sibai （ST 2）， Zhengguang 1， Zhengguang 2， and Yangbai （GB 14）. Treatments were administered twice weekly for 10 min each session over a total course of 12 weeks. Changes in uncorrected visual acuity （UCVA）， diopter， corneal curvature， and axial length （AL） were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Children in Group 1 who consented underwent cranial rs-fMRI scans before treatment and 1 month after treatment.

Results

2

After treatment， UCVA in Group 1 was superior to Group 2 （

P

<

0.05）. There were no significant differences in diopter or mean corneal curvature between the two groups （

P

>

0.05）. AL increased in both groups compared with baseline （

P

<

0.01）， and the overall effective rate was higher in Group 1 than in Group 2 （

P

<

0.05）. In Group 1， brain regions with enhanced FC included left V1 with left lingual gyrus and left calcarine fissure surrounding cortex， right V2 with superior frontal gyrus， left V3 with right superior occipital gyrus and right cuneus， right V3 with left superior occipital gyrus and left middle occipital gyrus （

P

<

0.01， FWE corrected）. Brain regions with decreased FC included right V1 with left middle temporal gyrus， left angular gyrus， and left middle occipital gyrus （

P

<

0.01， FWE corrected）. Positive correlations between left V2 FC and visual acuity were observed in the left superior parietal gyrus， right paracentral lobule， left paracentral lobule， left precuneus， left superior occipital gyrus， and left cuneus.

Conclusion

2

Plum-blossom needle therapy can improve uncorrected visual acuity and is effective in treating myopia in children and adolescents. Its mechanism may involve modulation of FC in the occipital visual cortex and adjacent brain regions， with left V2 FC showing a positive correlation with visual acuity.