From 1995 to 1996, IAAM published a biannual journal The International Journal of Auricular Medicine (IJAM).

IJAM published the material in English, French and German with the summaries in these languages. IJAM concerns itself with auricular medicine and auricular therapy. Specifically it looks at the following:

morphology of auricular points

physiology of auricular reflex

auricular neuroembryology and neuroanatomy

comparison of Western and Chinese cartographies of the auricle

electrodermal auricular diagnostic recording

the vascular autonomic signal (VAS); physiology, developments and perspectives

in terms of recording this pulse reflex

choice of appropriate drugs using the vascular autonomic signal

experimental and clinical auriculotherapy including case reports

veterinary auricular therapy

laser, magnetic field, bioresonance and microwave resonance in auricular

diagnostics and therapy

auricular medicine in anaesthetics.

E. Dvorkin, MD, Bat-Yam, Israel

E. Frinerman, MD, PhD, Bat-Yam, Israel

A. van Gelder, MD, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

S. Hofman, MD, Gouda, The Netherlands

J. Kenyon, MD, Southampton, UK

A. Lentz, MD, Dijon, France

S. Leib, MD, Augsburg, Germany

L. Malinovsky, Prof., MD, Brno, Czech Republic

O. Mastalier, DMD, Oberaudorf, Germany

T. Oleson, PhD, Los Angeles, USA

J. Still, Prof., DVM, Pretoria, RSA

Auricular Medicine is not at all a different medicine. It's place is in the very heart of the traditional medicine. It differs, however, in its ability to obtain information directly from autonomic nervous system with the help of VAS. This helps in understanding pathogenetic mechanisms and in establishing a diagnosis. Logically, coherently and practically, it decodes all kinds of therapy by pulse controlling. It systematically uses auricle stimulation for the treatment and has its indications like any other therapy. It should not be forgotten that Auriculotherapy, in spite of

its success and prestige, is only a small part of the Auricular Medicine.

Editorial

President's letter J. Kenyon

Neuromediateurs et modele de circulation d'energie A. Lentz

Chakras and auricular medicine A. van Gelder

Topography of reflex zones of head and ear in relation with clinical

psychopathology S. Hofman

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy relieved by He-Ne laser auriculotherapy: a

case history H. Kurland

Hemodynamic changes during puncture of beta-1-blocker analogue auricular

point E. Frinerman and E. Dvorkin

New books

The study of neurotransmitters made with the help of VAS, stresses the interrelationships of the neurotransmitters as well as their implications in transfers on the one hand and in the circulation of energy on the other hand. It thus becomes possible to elaborate a model which allows the gathering of all measures and will help us understand the complexity of the interactions which occur every time we use a filter. The model thus underscores the necessity to make our measures in the tridimensional space rather than on ear plan and the relationships between the transfers, the circulation of energy and the level of implication of the nervous system for each block. This model has allowed the setting up of an examination technique which underlines all of the pathological points and ranks them according to their importance.

The autor presents the principles of Chakratherapy and compares that therapy with the principles of the occidental and the chinese medicines. He describes with details the 7 chakras and their relations with the auricular points. Each chakra is represented in auricular medicine by 4 points, as following:

- The Main Point,

- The Ida Point, which is related to the psychosomatic function,

- The Pingala Point, which represents the psychic functions,

- The Sushumna Point, which presents the somatic functions.

Empirical reflex zones of head and ear are described related to clinical psychopathological symptomatic or syndromes. Detection of the zones with use of the RAC (VAS) will be described, as well as detection with more objective palpation and sensory stimulation. Relation of these dysfunction with the three layers (superficial, middle and deep layer) will be discussed as well as possibilities of (pharmaco-) therapeutic measures. Possible relation of anxiety-depression-related zones with sinuses of the head (lung) are noted and newer treatment modes in the ear will be mentioned.

A fifty year old woman had excision of the trapezium of the left wrist, with a flexor carpi radialis reconstruction of the basal thumb joint and release of left carpal tunnel compresion. Her post-operative course was complicated by reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). Five months later, she had similar operative procedure on her right hand, but again developed pronounced symptoms of RSD bilaterally. Anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-depressant drugs, physical therapy, biofeedback, body acupuncture treatment and stellate ganglion blocks failed to allieviate the RSD. The application of a He-Ne laser (wave lenght: 632,8 nm, current: 6 mA, output power: 1 mW), was applied to auricular points with immediate reduction of the pain. Seven additional treatment of He-Ne laser stimulation of auricular points were given at approximately biweekly intervals. The osteoarthritic pain of the basal thumb joints returned. However, the edema and diffuse hand pain diminished, and the extreme temperature fluctuation remitted.

Hemodynamic changes during puncture of beta-1-blocker analogue auricular point E. Frinerman and E. Dvorkin

In this preliminary communication we report data of the hemodynamic changes during stimulation of beta-1-blocker analogue auricular point (b1p) in patients with arrhythmia. Hemodynamically, the antiarrhythmic beta-1-blocker effect is associated with increased R-R interval, decreased stroke volume, and increased cardiac output, due to cessation of the hemodynamic ineffective extrasystolic beats. The hemodynamic effect associated with puncture of b1p has all the features of the beta-blocking drugs.

Editorial

Discussion

Auriculodiagnosis of acute diarrhoea in the dog an experimental study J.Still

Psychosomatische und somatopsychische Probleme in der Aurikulomedizin S.Leib

Abstracts

Auriculodiagnostics & Auriculotherapy: MEDLINE bibliographic index1994

New books

Location of auriculodiagnostic points was investigated in 5 healthy dogs in which acute gastroenteritis (irritation of the gastrointestinal mucousal surfaces) was induced by an overdose of a laxative drug dioxyanthrachinonum. The points were characterized by the reduced electrical skin resistance below the reference value of 70 kg, and/or by a characteristic reaction upon gentle pressure of 70-120 g/mm2 (detection area 1mm2). Location of the points corresponding to the stomach and intestines, as well as of segments of the spine and liver/pancreas was determined. Incidence and size of the points varied videly among the dogs. Certain points were detected for days after the cessation of clinical symptomps of the disorder.

The Cartesian concept, which separates psyche from body, is inherently incorrect. It is necessary to view every disease from the standpoint of somatopsychic unity. Conditions in which pure psychotherapy has been unsuccessfull require complementary therapy. Auricular medicine provides such therapy, using a holistic approach to disease diagnosis and treatment. The effectiveness of such therapy is founded on the exploration of the somatic causes of the psychic disorders and is evidenced by its shortened period of treatment and ultimate positive effect. It is suggested by the author that the effectiveness of the holistic therapy can be enhanced by using drug-modulated multifrequency laser and bioresonance therapy.

In memoriam Dr. Paul Nogier M.Kirsh

Aurikulomedizin und ganzheitliche Zahnheilkunde O. Mastalier

Ultrastructure of the thalamic representation in the human auricle

L. Malinovsky et al.

Bulimia control - treatment of obesity and weight loss by auricular therapy

in 800 cases A. Apostolopoulos and M. Karavis

Energy measurements by means of the VAS (RAC) and use of filters containing melanin and anti-melanin S.Hofman

Training of auricular medicine in The Netherlands A.van Gelder

MEDLINE bibliographic index 1994-95

New books

Dr. Paul Nogier died on the 15 of May 1996 at his home in Lyon, France. He was the founder of the methods of auriculotherapy and auricular medicine, and his untimely death has left a distinct gap in the domain of medicine which will be felt everywhere.

Dr. Nogier was born in Lyon, France, the son of a professor of medical physics on the medical faculty there, who was one of the pioneers of radiotherapy in France. After having studied engineering at the local Institute of Technology for three years Paul Nogier switched to medical studies and finally received his Medical Diploma.

In the early years of his medical practice, he was exposed to homeopathy, which appealed to him due to its originality and humanity. Later on he developed an interest in Chinese acupuncture, spread in France by George Soulie de Morant, and in manipulative medicine. He was one of the founders of GLEM, a French group of physicians that shared a common interest in these medical branches.

In 1951 Dr. Nogier discovered empirically the phenomenon that became the basis of his entire method: that stimulation of a certain point in the upper part of the auricle can alleviate lower back pain. Later on, he screened all the other parts of the auricle, arriving finally at a complete functional mapping of all the physiological and anatomical systems of the human body so as to make possible the alleviation, or even cure of ailments in different body areas by stimulating their representation on the level of the ear. Later on, Dr. Nogier developed different techniques to detect these points on the ear by demonstrating their increased local sensitivity to pressure and their different electrical conductivity as compared to their surroundings.

In 1966, a second major phenomenon was discovered by Dr. Paul Nogier. He found that by creating a microstimulation on the level of the auricle or elsewhere on the body, one can provoke a discrete change in the pulse wave as observed on the radial artery. This discovery, whose repeatability has been demonstrated, improved

dramatically the diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities of auriculotherapy. This is now called auricular medicine. Dr Nogier developed many sophisticated therapeutic instruments in the field of auricular medicine, instruments that applied electric, magnetic, electromagnetic and laser energies.

Though Dr. Nogier's method might resemble tradional Chinese medicine externally, it is in fact totally original, not only in its basic presumptions about the cartographic representation of the body on the ear, and its diagnostic and therapeutic techniques but also in its scope of interests: the question of the patient's adaptation, brain laterality, the role of the bi-polar autonomic nervous system in health and disease, central energetic reactions to peripheral microstimulation, vertebral blocks and their general effects, possible archaic genetic errors as the basis of human pathology and many other questions.

Dr. Nogier approached each question without prejudice, in a systematic and scientific manner, with originality and extraordinary intuition.

He devoted much of his time to teaching. Thousands of physicians in Europe and throughout the world have studied his method by means of courses, seminars and international congresses which he held both in France and in all parts of the world.

He wrote text books, treatises and manuals on these subject and published a professional periodical called "Auriculomedecine". His teaching and method are practiced in thousands of medical clinics, and in medical academic centers all over the world.

I was privileged to be close disciple of his for the last thirteen years and was always impressed not only by his exceptional faculties as a scientist and original physician but also by his special qualities as a warm human being whose deep sympathies were always with his patients.

He was the embodiement of a good hearted, modest, and generous human being.

His death creates a void in the field of complementary medicine and poses a challenge for us to continue, and to expand his work that is so beneficial to mankind.

The trend towards holistic dentistry is not only a matter of eliminating symptoms of illness but the earliest possible recognition of causes, that is to say the reversal of curative medicine into preventative medicine. Decisive in this respective is also consideration of the body, soul and spirit of the individual, observance of his individual modalities and factors to balance out the different components of life quality. Today auricular medicine, due to its diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities within the complementary methods plays an outstanding role. Early determination of functional irregular ties as forerunners of disease has priority. To this end auricular medicine offers considerable diagnostic indications when specific clinical findings are not determinable-a considerable deficit in solely clinical diagnostics. In this respect there is no lack in orientation of innovative paradigms in the sense of regulation, adaptation, cybernetics, energetics, cell information and resonance phenomens. The inhibition of pathological erroneous information, the exposure of disturbance fields as the cause of chronic complaints and combating pain are the domain of this method.

The guiding aims are the exposure of diagnostic and therapeutic obstacles (oscillation, inversion, disturbance field and focus, instability in laterality) and consideration of constitution as well as weak points in the organism and the defense system. In dentistry, auricular medicine has proved succesful because of its undisturbed application during dental treatment with quick effectiveness and freedom of undesirable side effects. The different testing methods of such (heavy metal stress, amalgam load, disturbance field) and succesful pain therapy according to the topical well-aimed intention ÒHow to pain kill without making ill" - the treatment of psychic disturbances and allergies as well as use for surgically realisable analgesia reflect the comprehensive spectrum of auricular medicine.

Small pieces of human auricle skin were taken from healthly tissue at the surgical edges of the specimen corresponding to the left thalamic point for electron microscopic examination. The material was fixed and treated in the usual way. On semithin sections thick nerve bundles, numerous vessels and hair follicles were found. Ultrathin sections brought the following findings:

1.Thick nerve bundles with myelinated as well as non-myelinated nerve fibers resembling "penicillate structures".

2.Solitary thin bundles of non-myelinated nerve fibers.

3.Numerous mast cells grouped together, on some places related to blood vessels and nerves.

4.Numerous veins without innervation.

5.Solitary arteries without innervation.

6.A rich occurence of somatic hairs with assumed sensory innervation.

Does an auricular point have its own morphological substratum? We didn't find in this research any specific ultrastructure of the "active" auricular point.

The therapeutic help in control of bulimia and anxiety by puncture on the stomach and Shenmen points is valuable. About 2/3 of the subjects who participated in at least one session have an initial body weight loss and the rest maintain or continue body weight loss after the 6 and 12 months period. The percentage of recognition of therapeutic assistance in control of bulimia (81.1%) and associated anxiety (46.7%) during communication after the first 20 days is high. A considerably lower percentage (40.4%) followed repetition of sessions every 20 day. Part of the subjects (35.6%) didn't recognize no therapeutic effect after the first session. Auriculotherapy every 15-20 day offers a therapeutic assistance to a considerable percentage of persons and to a satisfactory degree. It's appropriate use in an "integrated" obesity control program may help considerably and in the long term.

A method is introduced for energy detection by means of melanin and antimelanin (probably a novel transmitter substance) and the VAS (RAC) as well as related findings with uranyl-nitrate and lead filters. Two energies in complementary opposition are described, tentatively resembling givings in yoga science (siva-yin and sakti-yang). An experimental example, the effect of a needle stuck into the skin, is briefly described. Postulated are different layers of energy-consciousness and future experimentation with subjects and yoga techniques is suggested.

The authors developed a new computerized device for pulse registration. The device includes a new mosaic pulse transducer that imitates the perception possibilities of the human fingers. The transducer consists of 25 (5x5) separated high sensitivity and high resolution sensors providing detection of the three-dimensions of the pulse wave.

The transducer holder may apply six transducers simultaneously with electronic control of the transducer pressure on the arterial wall. The authors had good results using the device for registrating typical Chinese pulses changes evoked by mechanical stimulation of the "active" auricular points. This preliminary data suggests the perspectives of the new device for VAS machinery registration.

In memoriam Dr. Paul Nogier: Our Master A. Lentz

Ultrastructure and relation of must cells to "active" auricular zones (points) in the human auricle L. Malinovsky et al.

Symptom-shift as a result of auriculotherapeutic intervention T. Korthout

L'auriculomedecine et les differentes facons de pratiquer l'homeopathie A.Lentz

Abstracts

New books

PAUL NOGIER: OUR MASTER Andre Lentz

When, before 1968, we wrote to our doctors of medicine, it was the custom to use the formula "Sir and Dear Master". It was a custom imposed by submission to the prevailing academic Establishment rather than by a deep attachment to the person. For it is not enough to be a teacher to earn the name of master. The Master is he who, by his world vision, is able to alter our convictions and beliefs, thus creating a real school of thought. Paul Nogier was one such person. He profoundly modified our conception of medicine and our approach to man. He not only made important discoveries but he incorporated this image of man and the world into his everyday life, becoming a model for many of us. Pupils from all over the world came of their own volition to hear him and emulate him. Paul Nogier dedicated his life to an idea that could be expressed as follows: There are simple ways of bringing relief to a patient; it is up to us to discover them. Through his pupils, millions of patients have benefited and will henceforth continue to do so.

It could be expressed in a few phrases:

- It is our duty to seek every possible means of providing relief for our patients and there are often simple ways of doing this.

- Let us seek the cause of the pathology far beyond the actual disorder. It is, moreover, this message that he reiterated to us at the time of the last meeting that we had with him.

- Man is also a physical being who shares the same laws as the rest of the universe. It is therefore possible to use these laws to study the patient.

- We should never get fixated with an idea that cannot be considered as more than a working hypothesis. We should be constantly calling our ideas into question and not hesitate to destroy what we have constructed if that enables us to make progress.

- Having no preconceived ideas, let us not reject any idea, but neither let us accept any hypothesis without subjecting it to measurement, experimentation, and confronting it with reality. Experimental measurement goes far beyond simple logic.

- Observe nature and facts: they contain the clues to our theories.

Given time, we will gain a better understanding of the knowledge he has bequeathed to us and others who knew him better than I will be able to help you discover his work.

Paul Nogier was the son of a physics professor who invented electrotherapy, and he himself had a degree in physics and was a medical doctor, homeopath and acupuncturist. Living in the century of great technological advances, he was at the meeting point of cultures. Like the Chinese, he accepted the idea that man is governed by energy and everything is reflected in everything else, which allowed him to say that the whole person reflected in the ear. The Chinese method of monitoring the pulse enabled him to discover the VAS. His knowledge of physics helped him to perfect the methods of measuring energy. Hahnemann’s philosophy enabled him to approach illness as the consequence of experiences of life, the essential elements of which needed to be found. However, none of these elements would have sufficed to explain his genius without the added qualities of exceptional powers of observation, a fertile imagination and a passion for everything which he undertook. All these elements made it possible for him to perfect a method which acts as a missing link between empirical, traditional forms of medicine and modern science.

What motivated Paul Nogier above all was his passion for treating. His consultations were a role model. A very long interrogation, complete, attentive, Paul Nogier wanted to know everything about his patient, the search for the element which could put hip on the trail of the cure. He was compassionate towards his patients, he took care to make sure they were comfortable then examined them carefully on both a clinical and osteopathic level. The auriculomedicine examination completed the whole. Prolonged, looking for the causes of the pathologies, and dedicating part of his time to new research, he did not fail to and by asking after the family when he knew them. He saw very few patients but examined them thoroughly. His work was exceptional whereas his fees were derisory. He never knew how to charge, one of his locums told me.

Second to his passion for treatment came that researcher. "My role is to discover new things," he told me. "My pupils will take it upon themselves to go into them in more depth." Nothing that appears absurd to most people seemed to be able to stop him. He constantly sought for new elements capable of being measured by the VAS and of giving him a better understanding of how the ear worked. Sometimes he scandalized even those most open to his methods and yet he was often right. The use of colors is an obvious example. There was such an outcry that Paul Nogier abandoned this research for two years. He was ahead of his time, but that will only be recognized with the passage of time.

His name will obviously remain linked to discovery of auriculotherapy and the VAS which Rene Bourdiol called Nogier’s arterial reflex. But his discoveries do not stop there. The organism’s frequencies, corresponding colors, oscillating phenomena, which will force themselves on our notice. He also perfected many pieces of apparatus to measure and treat the points. He showed, too that pathologies have many causes and gave us instruments to find them. It is now up to his pupils to make an inventory of them, and to show us everything he taught.

His mere presence sufficed to command respect. Without ever having learned to teach, he communicated his discoveries without apparent difficulty, spoke slowly, calmly so that everyone understood. He was not always too clear, but did not hesitate to go over things again and again, to explain and expand on ideas that seemed obscure. He answered all questions without ever becoming irritated and did not hesitate to question certain aspects of his teaching if there was much criticism. He took suggestions into account without retaining anything that risked taking him down uncertain routes.

He also knew how to recognize the value of people, and surrounded himself with personalities "of great worth" who offered to help him improve his method. Some of them made a big contribution but nearly all ended up by going too far, beyond the experimental field. Often then there was a break-up and, in spite of all those gathering round and appealing to him, Paul Nogier was a solitary man. Nothing that happened to do with his method affected him. I would not like to swear that such was really the case, but he had inner resources to draw on which enabled him to conceal his true feelings. He knew how to rise above the fray and calmly went his way according to his own lights.

One cannot speak of Paul Nogier without mentioning all his family. They were always there by his side to help and support him. All Paul Nogier’s pupils know Elizabeth, his wife, always present, friendly, welcoming and ready to help. Simplicity and conviviality characterized the Nogier couple. All the children participated in his work one way or another. Each of us knows at least one son or daughter who came to help out or who participated in their father’s work. Even his grand-daughter came to help us at the last symposium. We are grateful to all of them for what they have done for us and for having allowed us to usurp so much time which should by rights have been spent on them.

Paul Nogier was a great worker but he has left us much still to do. Our role is to continue the work he undertook in the same sprit. We should rally round his ideas and the associations he himself founded. A few months ago the GLEM annals were considering a collection of anecdotes which particularly struck you; Paul Nogier’s disappearance invites us make it into a real Homage. Help us gather the documents together and write your own impressions and memories so that, through your texts, the different facets of Paul Nogier’s personality may shine through and everything that he has done for us be highlighted. Whatever your present options, if at any time in your life you have been a student of Paul Nogier, write to us and share your feelings and impressions with us. Tell us about events which impressed you, about the seminars, congresses, encounters, and your setbacks, so that together we can relate the significant events in the Nogier years by combining all these elements. Each of us should be thinking:

"it is up to me join in transmitting Paul Nogier’s message."

The authors studied the occurence, ultrastructure and relationships of mast cells to "active" auricular zones (points) in the human auricle: thalamus and antidepression. These zones (points) were found by VAS and verified by differential detection. Mast cells were found in both zones either solitary or in small groups, often related to vessels and nerves. Direct innervation of these cells was not observed. The cells contain in different forms numerous dark granules, small clear vesicles, vacuoles and some organelles. Mast cells of both studied zones do not differ in their ultrastructure.

Through their rich secretory activity, content of different enzymes, interaction with nerves and some chemical substances in surrounding tissue, these cells can influence (modulate) the activity of neighbouring as well as distant cells and tissues. The authors consider therefore mast cells as paraneurons.

The auricular medicine is a tool which can help us to understand how homeopathy is active and how we must prescribe for the recovery of our patient. With it, we can make the integration of methods from different schools in a global comprehension which give us a new vision of homeopathy. It helps us for choice of remedie and can make a new evolution with methodology and efficacity of homeopathy.

Symptom-shift as a result of auriculotherapeutic intervention A. Korthout

Auriculotherapeutic interventions may elicit the phenomenon of symptom shift. Three cases are presented in which this phenomenon is reported. The significance of the phenomenon of symptom shift according to the homotoxin theory and that of homoeopathy is briefly described. Next, the symptom shifts in the presented cases are interpreted according to these theories. Awareness to the phenomenon of symptom shift and its good report and study may atribute to an explanation from the view of auriculotherapy.

It was interest that I read the article of Dr. E.Frinerman and Dr. E.Dvorkin on "Hemodynamic changes during puncture of beta-1-blocker analogue auricular point" (IJAM, 1995, 1: 40-43).

I only wish there could be more clinical studies of this kind in the Journal.

In order to further elucidate clinical relevance of the presented

data, I would like to ask the authors the following questions:

1. Were the cardiovascular effects only seen during the needling of the point (what technique of needling was applied?), or did the hemodynamic changes continue even after the end of the needling?

2. Did the authors note any clinical changes such as modification of the heart murmur or of the breathing pattern during and after theneedling?

3. Can the documented hemodynamic changes really be interpreted as a

beta-1-block? Both the heart rate and stroke volume increased once the needle was inserted into the point(Fig.4) which suggest rather a beta-1-agonist activity. The reduction of the total peripheral vascular resistance seen in course of the needling, could theoretically be linked to the peripheral dilatation (ie alpha-blocking effect).

If it were possible to repeat this trial in the future, it would be advisable to also measure indexes of myocardial contractility in order to distingish whether the observed increase of cardiac index (output) was due to improved myocardial filling once the abnormalventricular rhythm had normalised, or whether the favourable

hemodynamic changes could rather be attributed to the increased myocardial contractility, ie a beta-1-adrenergic stimulation. It is my impression that further investigations are needed in order to definitively establish the predominant hemodynamic effects of needling of the beta-1-blocker analogue auricular point particular.

Nevertheless, this valuable pilot study indicates, once again, the

marked potential of auricular medicine.

P.O.Box 160, 0204 MEDUNSA, R.S.A.

We have read with interest the letter of Prof. J.Still regarding our communication "Hemodynamic changes during puncture of beta-1-blocker analogue auricular point" (IJAM, 1995, 1: 40-43). We agree with Prof. Still that further investigations are needed in order to definitively establish the predominant hemodynamic effects

of needling of the beta-1-blocker analogue point (B1bp). The aim of our communication was to demonstrate the marked antiarrhythmic effect caused by puncture of B1bp in the case of stable resistant to standard treatment arrhythmia with low cardiac output. The main question is whether documented hemodynamic changes could be really interpreted as a beta-1-receptor blockade or a beta-adrenergic

agonist action.

Literature data suggest beta-1-receptors are the principal mediators of cardiac sympathetic nerve activity, and combined antiarrhythmic, and negative chrono- and inotropic effects are most likely to be specific for beta-1-receptor blockade (1).

Other beta-blocker effects as decreased heart rate and arterialpressure and SV per se could not be strongly interpreted as beta-1-blocker effect, and may be the result of increased parasympathetic activity. Even indexes of contractility could not be used as

absolute measure of myocardial inotropic stage because of inability to measure the absolute value of contractility.

In our example the antiarrhythmic effect was also accompanied with other beta-blocker effects: decreasing of the R-R interval of the sinus rhythm beats, respiratory rate (RR), arterial pressure, and marked decrease of the beat-to-beat stroke volume of the sinus rhythm beats (see beat-to-beat SV value on the graphs).

The reduction in total peripheral vascular resistance seen in the course of the needling, could be theoretically linked to peripheral vasodilatation, when it is secondary to decreased MAP.

In our case the TPR is decrease because of the cardiac output increasing as a result of normalization of the cardiac rhythm and disappearence of the hemodynamic non-effective extrasystolic beats.

This differentiation we can see using per-minute measure of

afterload (vasoactivity), described by stroke systemic vascular

resistance index (SSVRI) defined as:

SSVRI(dyn*sec*cm*m) = 80(MAP-CVP)/SI, where:

CPV= the Central Venous Pressure, (MAP-CVP)= the pressure

drop across the systemic vasculature; SI= per-beat stroke index (1).

In our case, supposing CPV - 7 Torr, before needling the average

SSVRI of the first 5 sinus rhythm beats was:

SSVRI= 80(100-7)/65.6= 113,4 dyn*sec*cm-5*m2; during needling

SSVRI= 80(93-7)/51,0 = 134,9 dyn*sec*cm-5*m2. One can see that SSVRI

increased in the course of needling.

The antiarrhythmic effect was obtained by applicating an ear steel needle "Seirin" (Japan) perpendicularly with clockwise rotating in the left B1b point. Cardiac rhythm was normalized after 1 min and was normal for the following 20 min. During sinus rhythm the intensity of the systolic murmur was decreased.

In conclusion we could confirm the high effectivity of needling B1bp for decreasing arterial pressure, slowing heart rate and sedation in patients with essential hypertension and in persons with hyperventilation. Stimulating B1bp in this patients appear to improve the main individual symptoms of sympathetic hyperactivity

without any adverse effects. We see a theoretical grounding of those actions in the experiments of Skinner, et al (2) which documented the prevalence of the central action of beta-blokers on the cerebral defence system that effectively realised the cardiovascular effect and multifunctional effects of beta-blockers (3). In our opinion,

the modulating beta-blocking effect by the cerebral defence system could be the cause, because the acupuncture effect is more specific and safe than treatment with beta-blocker drugs.

1. Packer M, Pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the effects of

beta-adrenergic agonists and antagonists on functional capacity and

survival in chronic heart failure. Circulation, 1990, 82 (suppl. 1):

I-77-I-88

2. Sramek B, New concepts in systemic hemodynamics & hemodynamic

management. Medical Electronics, 1966, June: 50-56

3. Skinner JE, Regulation of cardiac vulnerability by the cerebral

defence system. J Am Coll Cardiol, 1985, 5: 88B-94B.

3. Olsson G, Ryden L, Prevention of sudden death using beta-

blockers. Review of possible contributory actions. Circulation,

1991, VI-33-VI-37.