SynthesisFrontiers in neuroscience2025
Clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture in modulating autonomic nervous function: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Frontiers in neuroscience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
Background: The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a pivotal role in maintaining physiological homeostasis, and its dysfunction is implicated in various chronic disorders. Current pharmacological and neuromodulatory interventions are constrained by limitations such as adverse effects and invasiveness. Acupuncture, a cornerstone of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), demonstrates potential for bidirectionally modulating ANS function, yet systematic evidence remains scarce. Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) retrieved from PubMed, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang, and CENTRAL databases from their inception until 1 August 2025. Data on baseline characteristics, heart rate variability (HRV) parameters (standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), LF/HF), and adverse events were extracted. Analyses were performed using random-effects models. Results: Ten RCTs comprising 744 patients were included. Acupuncture significantly improved SDNN. True effect sizes for LF and HF suggested potential differences, but considerable uncertainty was evident. The incidence of adverse events was low, with no serious events reported. Conclusion: Acupuncture may confer modest improvements in ANS function, particularly evidenced by SDNN enhancement, and exhibits a favorable safety profile. However, the evidence is constrained by heterogeneity and methodological limitations, necessitating further validation through high-quality studies.
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Registered trials
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.