Work

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

Year: 2026

Type: article

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: = 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.

Source: Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience

DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2026.1938329