Abstract: Objective To explore the characteristics of patients with stagnation of liver-qi syndrome using brain functional imaging techniques.Methods10 patients with stagnation of liver-qi syndrome and 20 normal persons whom paired by sex and age were scanned with positron emission tomography(PET).Data analysis was carried out using SPM in MATLAB software.ResultsCompared with normal,some cerebral areas of the patients with stagnation of liver-qi syndrome showed glucose metabolism letdown(P<0.001),including right parietal lobe(postcentral gyrus,BA1/2),temporal lobe(middle temporal gyrus,BA37),frontal lobe(middle frontal gyrus,BA9/10)etc.,while some cerebral areas showed glucose metabolism heighten(P<0.001)including right frontal lobe(superior frontal gyrus,inferior fontal gyrus,BA22/28/44),right cingulated gyrus,double midbrain and cerebella,etc.ConclusionThe function of some cerebral areas can be changed undergoing stagnation of liver-qi syndrome.

Key words: syndrome of stagnation of liver-qi, positron emission tomography, cerebral function