Objective To observe therapeutic effect of acupuncture on migraine without aura and the changes of brain functional connectivity（FC） using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging（rs-fMRI）. Methods Thirty-four patients with migraine without aura were included into an observation group and treated with acupuncture at Baihui（GV 20）

Xuanlu（GB 5）

Shuaigu（GB 8）

Taiyang（EX-HN 5）

etc. Using G6805-Ⅱ electric acupuncture apparatus

the ipsilateral Fengchi（GB 20） and Shuaigu（GB 8） were connected and stimulated with continuous wave

2 Hz in frequency and 0.1 mA to 1.0 mA in current intensity

depending on patient’s tolerance. Acupuncture stimulation lasted 20 min each time

twice weekly（at the interval>2 days）. A total of 6 weeks of treatment（12 times） was required. Matching the gender and age as those of the observation group

16 healthy subjects were recruited into a control group and no any intervention was provided. The headache days

the score of visual analogue scale（VAS） for headache severity

the total score of headache symptoms

the score of migraine-specific quality of life questionnaire（MSQ）

the score of self-rating anxiety scale（SAS）

and the score of self-rating depression scale（SDS） were compared before and after acupuncture

and the clinical efficacy was assessed in the observation group. The data of the resting-state functional magnetic resonance were collected in the observation group before and after treatment as well as the control group at baseline. The periaqueductal gray（PAG） was taken as the seed to analyze the effect of acupuncture on the brain FC and the correlation between FC and VAS scores

headache days in the patients of migraine without aura. Results After treatment

the headache days

VAS score

the total score of headache symptoms

SAS score and SDS score were all reduced（P<0.01）; and the scores of the restrictive

preventive

and emotional functional domains of the MSQ were increased（P<0.01） in the observation group compared with those before treatment. The total effective rate was 94.1%（32/34）. Compared with the control group

FC between PAG and the right cerebellum Ⅷ was decreased in the observation group before treatment（P<0.05）. FC of PAG with the bilateral cerebellum Ⅷ and the left precuneus was increased in the observation group after treatment compared with those before treatment（P<0.05）. In the observation group

the FC intensity of PAG and the right cerebellum Ⅷ was negatively correlated with VAS score（r=-0.41

P<0.05） before treatment

while the FC intensity of PAG and the left precuneus was positively correlated with the improvement in headache days(r Conclusion Acupuncture is effective on migraine without aura. The brain functional connectivity is abnormal in the patients. The effect onset of acupuncture is obtained probably by regulating the abnormal brain regions and activating brain regions relevant with pain and emotions.