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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience

Different modes of stimulation at the Neiguan acupoint (PC6) regulate different EEG microstates under VR immersion conditions

  • Zixin Huo1,2
  • Simin Zhao1
  • Qi Liu1,2,3
  • Shuyong Jia1
  • Qiuyue Lyu1
  • Xixian Liu4
  • Na Tu1,2
  • Xiaojing Song1
  • Shuyou Wang1
  • Weibo Zhang1
  • Lianqi Geng4
  • Liming Sun5
2 more authors
  • Yi Guo2,3
  • Guangjun Wang1
5 affiliations
  1. 1Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
  2. 2Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
  3. 3National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
  4. 4Binhai New Area Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
  5. 5Beijing First Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Beijing, China
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Abstract

Introduction: Acupuncture at the Neiguan acupoint (PC6) alleviates postoperative and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Nevertheless, the central regulatory effects of PC6 stimulation on virtual reality motion sickness (VRMS), a form of physiological vertigo triggered by visual-vestibular sensory conflict, and the corresponding alterations in electroencephalogram (EEG) microstate characteristics remain unclear. Using EEG microstate analysis as the primary approach, this study investigated the effects of different PC6 stimulation modalities on dynamic brain functional changes during VRMS, aiming to further elucidate the potential neural mechanisms underlying acupoint stimulation in VRMS.

Methods: Participants were recruited based on their Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire scores, with a cut-off value of ≥34 used as the inclusion criterion. A total of 200 healthy participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to four equal groups (n = 50 per group): control (32 °C), 40 °C, 44 °C, and 2-Hz transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS). The experimental protocol consisted of three phases: baseline, active stimulation, and post-stimulation. All participants received a 40-min stimulation targeting the right PC6 acupoint. EEG data were continuously recorded throughout the experiment.

Results: Microstate analysis revealed that during the stimulation phase, the 2-Hz TEAS group exhibited significantly increased duration, occurrence, and coverage of microstate D compared with the control group, whereas the 40 °C group affected only the duration of microstate D. During the post-stimulation phase, compared with the control group, the 44 °C group showed a decreased duration of microstate A and significantly increased duration and coverage of microstate B, while the 2-Hz TEAS group continued to exhibit sustained effects on the duration of microstate D.

Conclusion: The neuroelectrophysiological signatures of stimulation at PC6 in modulating VRMS are predominantly reflected in the dynamic changes of microstates A, B, and D. Thermal stimulation and low-frequency electrical stimulation engage distinct central modulatory pathways, providing a neuroelectrophysiological basis for optimizing stimulation parameters for in future studies on VRMS.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{huo2026different,
  title = {{Different modes of stimulation at the Neiguan acupoint (PC6) regulate different EEG microstates under VR immersion conditions}},
  author = {Zixin Huo and Simin Zhao and Qi Liu and Shuyong Jia and Qiuyue Lyu and Xixian Liu and Na Tu and Xiaojing Song and Shuyou Wang and Weibo Zhang and Lianqi Geng and Liming Sun and Yi Guo and Guangjun Wang},
  journal = {Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fncom.2026.1938329},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fncom.2026.1938329},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Different modes of stimulation at the Neiguan acupoint (PC6) regulate different EEG microstates under VR immersion conditions
AU  - Zixin Huo
AU  - Simin Zhao
AU  - Qi Liu
AU  - Shuyong Jia
AU  - Qiuyue Lyu
AU  - Xixian Liu
AU  - Na Tu
AU  - Xiaojing Song
AU  - Shuyou Wang
AU  - Weibo Zhang
AU  - Lianqi Geng
AU  - Liming Sun
AU  - Yi Guo
AU  - Guangjun Wang
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/22
JO  - Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience
DO  - 10.3389/fncom.2026.1938329
UR  - https://doi.org/10.3389/fncom.2026.1938329
AB  - Introduction: Acupuncture at the Neiguan acupoint (PC6) alleviates postoperative and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Nevertheless, the central regulatory effects of PC6 stimulation on virtual reality motion sickness (VRMS), a form of physiological vertigo triggered by visual-vestibular sensory conflict, and the corresponding alterations in electroencephalogram (EEG) microstate characteristics remain unclear. Using EEG microstate analysis as the primary approach, this study investigated the effects of different PC6 stimulation modalities on dynamic brain functional changes during VRMS, aiming to further elucidate the potential neural mechanisms underlying acupoint stimulation in VRMS.  Methods: Participants were recruited based on their Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire scores, with a cut-off value of ≥34 used as the inclusion criterion. A total of 200 healthy participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to four equal groups (n = 50 per group): control (32 °C), 40 °C, 44 °C, and 2-Hz transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS). The experimental protocol consisted of three phases: baseline, active stimulation, and post-stimulation. All participants received a 40-min stimulation targeting the right PC6 acupoint. EEG data were continuously recorded throughout the experiment.  Results: Microstate analysis revealed that during the stimulation phase, the 2-Hz TEAS group exhibited significantly increased duration, occurrence, and coverage of microstate D compared with the control group, whereas the 40 °C group affected only the duration of microstate D. During the post-stimulation phase, compared with the control group, the 44 °C group showed a decreased duration of microstate A and significantly increased duration and coverage of microstate B, while the 2-Hz TEAS group continued to exhibit sustained effects on the duration of microstate D.  Conclusion: The neuroelectrophysiological signatures of stimulation at PC6 in modulating VRMS are predominantly reflected in the dynamic changes of microstates A, B, and D. Thermal stimulation and low-frequency electrical stimulation engage distinct central modulatory pathways, providing a neuroelectrophysiological basis for optimizing stimulation parameters for in future studies on VRMS.
SN  - 1662-5188
ER  -