Objective:To clarify altered whole brain functional connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex(ACC)in functional dyspepsia(FD)patients,and then to explore cerebral influence of acupuncture with deqi treating for FD.Methods:Thirty-two FD patients and 35 healthy subjects(HS)were firstly scanned by the resting-state blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging(BOLD-fMRI)to compare differences of ACC-based functional connectivity(FC).Then 32 FD patients were randomized to receive 20 sessions’acupuncture treatment with(n=16)and without deqi(n=16),as well as underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)scans after treatment.After group re-division according to deqi response,changes of ACC subregions-based resting-state FC(rsFC)were compared between the actual with and without deqi group.Two seeds with bilateral of each were selected as regions of interest(ROIs)of the ACC,including two from the dorsal ACC:S2(BA24)(x=±5,y=2,z=46,r=3.5 mm)and two from the pregenual ACC:17(BA24)(x=±5,y=38,z=6,r=3.5 mm).The clinical changes of the Nepean Dyspepsia Index(NDI)that measuring symptoms and quality of life(QOL)were also used to further assess the correlation with ACC subregions rsFC in FD patients.Results:Compared to HS,FD patients showed significantly increased ACC subregions rsFC with left fusiform gyrus,temporal cortex,hippocampus(HIPP)/amygdala,temporal pole,and right INS,superior occipital gyrus,and bilateral precuneus,superior parietal lobule(SPL),and decreased rsFC with left postcentral/precentral gyrus(PoG/PrG),supplementary motor area(SMA)and right cerebellum.32 FD patients which were then re-divided into the actual deqi group(n=16)and actual without deqi group(n=16).The decrease of the NDI symptom score(pre-pos)in the actual deqi group was significantly greater than that in the actual without deqi group(P<0.05).Among the two groups,the actual deqi group showed increased ACC subregions rsFC with right SMA and bilateral PrG/PoG,and decreased rsFC with right precuneus,middle occipi
