Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35168522›Full record

ReviewCurrent neuropharmacology2022

Potential Mechanisms and Clinical Effectiveness of Acupuncture in Depression.

Na-Na Yang, Lu-Lu Lin, Yue-Jie Li, Hong-Ping Li, Yan Cao, Chun-Xia Tan, Xiao-Wan Hao, Si-Ming Ma, Lu Wang, Cun-Zhi Liu

Open access · greenAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Current neuropharmacology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 78 papers, 14 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
78citing papers in PubMed, 14 pooled it
17.1field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

78 citing papers in PubMed, 14 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 122 citations in OpenAlex.

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  15. The efficacy and cerebral mechanism of intradermal acupuncture for major depressive disorder: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2025
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18 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Na-Na YangInternational Acupuncture and Moxibustion Innovation Institute, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tunia, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
Lu-Lu LinInternational Acupuncture and Moxibustion Innovation Institute, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tunia, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
Yue-Jie LiInternational Acupuncture and Moxibustion Innovation Institute, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tunia, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
Hong-Ping LiInternational Acupuncture and Moxibustion Innovation Institute, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tunia, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
Yan CaoInternational Acupuncture and Moxibustion Innovation Institute, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tunia, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
Chun-Xia TanInternational Acupuncture and Moxibustion Innovation Institute, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tunia, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
Xiao-Wan HaoInternational Acupuncture and Moxibustion Innovation Institute, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tunia, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
Si-Ming MaInternational Acupuncture and Moxibustion Innovation Institute, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tunia, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
Lu WangInternational Acupuncture and Moxibustion Innovation Institute, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tunia, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
Cun-Zhi LiuInternational Acupuncture and Moxibustion Innovation Institute, School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tunia, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine · CN

Funding

National Key R&D Program of China 2019YFC1712100
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Major depressive disorder is the most common mental disorder with significant economic burden and limited treatments. Acupuncture has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological treatment for reducing depressive symptoms. However, the potential mechanisms and clinical effectiveness of acupuncture are not fully understood. This review aimed to: (1) summarize the available evidence on the mechanisms and clinical effectiveness of acupuncture for depression, and then (2) compare with pharmacological interventions, guiding future studies. Studies with animal models of depression and patients have shown that acupuncture could increase hippocampal and network neuroplasticity and decrease brain inflammation, potentially to alleviating depressive disorders. Overall clinical studies indicated that acupuncture could relieve primary depression, particularly milder cases, and was helpful in the management of post-stroke depression, pain-related depression, and postpartum depression both as an isolated and adjunct treatment. It was emphasized that acupuncture combined with antidepressant pharmacological treatment not only enhanced the improvement of primary and secondary depressive symptoms but also reduced the side effects of the medical treatment, which is the main cause for high dropout rates with drug treatment. In summary, substantial evidence from animal and human researches supported the beneficial effect of acupuncture in depression. However, most clinical trials of acupuncture were small, and it is unclear whether their findings can be generalized, so more studies are needed.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyMajor Depressive DisorderAntidepressive AgentsDepressionFemaleHumansTreatment OutcomeAntidepressive AgentsacupunctureDepressioninflammationneuroplasticitynon-pharmacological treatmentpharmacological treatments

Identifiers

PMID35168522
PMCPMC9878952
OpenAlexW3185225187

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.