Table 2.

Study designs and populations. Summary of objectives, study design types, and populations involved in the reviewed articles.

Purpose	Study design	Population	Type (Pop.)
Compare body (A) versus body & scalp (B) acupuncture for stroke [28]	Comparative	n = 20: A/B = 10/10, f : m = 4 : 6/3 : 7, by intervention, age range 41–72/42–75	Stroke
Electric moxibustion at (a) Baihui GV 20 or (b) Shenque CV 8 for healthy subjects [29]	Comparative	n = 20 (a) n = 10, f/m = 5/5, age range 25–53; (b) n = 10, f/m = 5/5, age range 27–51	Healthy
Changes in regional cerebral oxygenation after various methods of acupuncture [27]	Observational	n = 88: f/m = 50/38, age range 19–38	Healthy
Effects of manual and laser acupuncture on cerebral oxygenation [30]	Observational	n = 3, male, ages 25, 50, and 70	Healthy
P-STIM auricular electroacupuncture [32]	Observational	n = 2, female, ages 23 and 27	Healthy
Regional cerebral oxygenation changes during and after acupuncture [33]	Observational	n = 12: f/m = 4/8, age range 26–41	Healthy
Cerebral parameters of healthy subjects after stimulating acupuncture points associated with intracranial pressure [38]	Observational	n = 34, f/m = 24/10, age range 20–35 Intensive care patient after severe head injury (n = 1, age 15)	Healthy
Acupuncture for cerebrovascular dementia [34]	Case study	n = 1, age 77, female	Cerebrovascular dementia
Changes in regional cerebral oxygen saturation in neonates undergoing laser acupuncture at Hegu LI 4 [37]	Observational	n = 20: f/m = 8/12, age < 1	Neonates
Effects on brain activity of trigger point (TP) versus nontrigger point stimulation and de-qi induction [35]	Comparative	n = 20: f/m = 5/15, age range: 19–30 TP first: f/m = 1/9, non-TP first: f/m = 3/7	Healthy
Effects of acupuncture at Hegu LI 4 on central frontal cortex [31]	Observational	n = 16, f/m = 9/7, age range 19–45	Healthy
Compare blood oxygenation in stimulation region and distant region in trapezius muscle [40]	Controlled	n = 19: AS n = 9: f/m = 7/2 age 36 no AS n = 10: f/m = 7/3, age 29	Healthy, acupuncture-experienced
Tender dry point needling for neck pain (katakori) Experiment I [41]	Controlled	n = 9: f/m = 7/2, age range 22–48; control n = 4: f/m = 0/4, age range 25–27	Neck pain
Tender dry point needling for neck pain (katakori) Experiment II [41]	Observational	n = 13: f/m = 8/5, age range 24–48	Neck pain
Effect of acupressure at Xiyangguan GB 33 on regional oxygen saturation of deeper knee tissues [39]	Observational	n = 12: f/m = 5/7, age: 23.8 ± 1.6 yrs	Healthy
Effect of laser needle stimulation at acupuncture point on blood flow and oxygenation in forearm [42]	Randomized Double-blinded Placebo-controlled	n = 33: age 26.6 (3.4)  laser/no-laser = 18/15	Healthy
Near-infrared optical imaging to evaluate efficacy of acupuncture on peripheral tissue perfusion [36]	Observational	n = 2: f/m = 1/1, age 20/39	Healthy