Objectives: The study objective was to evaluate the effect of acupuncture on cerebrovascular response in
migraineurs by transcranial Doppler ultrasound.
Design: This study was a randomized, quasi double-blinded, placebo-controlled study.
Subjects: Thirty-five (35) migraineurs were diagnosed according to the International Headache Society criteria.
The stimulus paradigm was performed in 18 verum and 17 placebo acupuncture patients.
Interventions: Participants were treated with acupuncture according to Traditional Chinese Medicine recommendations.
All patients received one session of acupuncture each week for 8 weeks.
Outcome measures: To evaluate the clinical effect of acupuncture treatment, headache frequency and intensity
was monitored by a headache diary. Cerebral blood flow velocity data were analyzed with a validated technique
based on automated stimulus-related averaging. Vasotonus was determined by systolic and mean flow velocities
and pulsality index in right and left middle cerebral arteries during rest. Cerebrovascular response was evaluated
by detecting the cerebrovascular Valsalva ratio by maximum end-diastolic flow velocity acceleration during the
straining phase of a Valsalva maneuver. Additionally, the centroperipheral Valsalva ratio was determined by the
quotient of the cerebrovascular ratio to the corresponding blood pressure acceleration.