ReviewJournal of pain research2025
Exploration of Key Brain Regions Involved in Acupuncture and Moxibustion Analgesia: An Imaging-Based Study.
Review in Journal of pain research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Acupuncture for Comorbid Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain and Chronic Insomnia: Protocol for a Multicenter, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial.Journal of pain research · 2026Article
- Functional connectivity changes in the thalamocortical network due to neck pain and the multiscale regulatory effects of acupuncture: a cross-scale multi-omics neuroimaging study.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Acupuncture and moxibustion, as traditional therapies in Chinese medicine, are widely recognized for their therapeutic effects, particularly in pain relief. Nevertheless, the exact mechanisms underlying their analgesic effects remain to be fully elucidated. Advancements in neuroimaging techniques have opened a novel pathway for investigating alterations in brain function resulting from acupuncture and moxibustion analgesia. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the brain regions activated during acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for pathological pain using neuroimaging, to better understand the underlying analgesic mechanisms. Patients and Methods: An electronic search of PubMed was conducted using the keywords "acupuncture", "moxibustion", "analgesia", and "neuroimaging". A total of 37 articles, focusing on 14 diseases, were identified and analyzed. Results: Acupuncture primarily activated regions in the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes, with key areas including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insula, prefrontal cortex (PFC), and primary somatosensory cortex (S1). Different stimulation modes and disease types produced distinct patterns of brain region activation. Conclusion: Acupuncture and moxibustion modulate key brain regions involved in pain perception, emotional regulation, and cognitive functions. Acupuncture predominantly affects the sensory cortex, enhancing pain perception, while moxibustion has a more pronounced effect on the limbic system and thalamus, influencing emotional and cognitive aspects of pain. The findings indicate that acupuncture and moxibustion serve as effective non-pharmacological therapies for pain management, offering valuable insights into their underlying analgesic mechanisms. Future research should focus on further elucidating these mechanisms and optimizing clinical applications.
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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.