The research, which used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to measure the brain activity of people undergoing reflexology, is the first study of its kind and offers tantalising proof that differences in the brain can be made by stimulating specific areas of the feet. The fMRI study, which took place at the University of Tohoku, investigated three reflex areas relating to the eye, shoulder and small intestine. As pressure was applied to each reflex area, the scientists were able to compare the fMRI imaging against the known region of the brain for each individual body part.

Somatotopical relationships between cortical activity and reflex areas in reflexology: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study (Tomomi Nakamaru, Naoki Miura, Ai Fukushima and Ryuta Kawashima)
Abstract
We examined the somatotopical relationship between cortical activity and sensory stimulation of reflex areas in reflexology using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Three reflex areas on the left foot, relating to the eye, shoulder, and small intestine were stimulated during the experiment. A statistical analysis showed that reflexological stimulation of the foot reflex areas corresponding to the eye, shoulder, and small intestine activated not only the somatosensory areas corresponding to the foot, but also the somatosensory areas corresponding to the eye, shoulder, and small intestine or neighboring body parts. Thus, the findings showed that reflexological stimulation induced a somatosensory process corresponding to the stimulated reflex area and that a neuroimaging approach can be used to examine the basis of reflexology effects.