Acupuncture improves depressive symptoms and prefrontal cortical function in mild to moderate depressive disorder: A randomized sham-controlled trial and fNIRS study.

Bin Yang; Tianyu Wang; Fengya Zhu; Yang Liu; Zhi Li; Lan Luo; Lin Yin; Siyi Mao; Jie Wu; Runqing Miao

doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2026.111088

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Acupuncture improves depressive symptoms and prefrontal cortical function in mild to moderate depressive disorder: A randomized sham-controlled trial and fNIRS study.

Bin Yang·Tianyu Wang·Fengya Zhu·Yang Liu·Zhi Li·Lan Luo·Lin Yin·Siyi Mao·Jie Wu·Runqing Miao

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Depressive disorder is a common mental illness associated with substantial functional impairment. Although pharmacotherapy is widely used, its effectiveness is often limited by adverse effects and poor adherence. Acupuncture has been increasingly applied as a complementary treatment for depression, and its neurobiological characteristics remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: This randomized, sham-controlled trial aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture for mild to moderate depressive disorder and to investigate its effects on prefrontal cortical function using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). METHODS: Patients with mild to moderate depressive disorder were randomly assigned to a real acupuncture (RA) group or a sham acupuncture (SA) group and received standardized treatment for 8 weeks. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), and a traditional Chinese medicine syndrome score. A subset of participants underwent fNIRS assessment during resting-state and task-based conditions to evaluate prefrontal cortical activation and functional connectivity. RESULTS: Compared with baseline, the RA group showed significant reductions in SDS and SAS scores and significant improvements in SF-36 emotional domains, with effects emerging at Week 4 and persisting up to 12 weeks after treatment. Improvements were greater and more stable in the RA group than in the SA group. fNIRS analyses revealed enhanced activation in dorsolateral and medial prefrontal regions and strengthened prefrontal functional connectivity following acupuncture, whereas neural changes in the SA group were limited. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture is effective for improving depressive and anxiety symptoms and quality of life in patients with mild to moderate depressive disorder. Modulation of prefrontal cortical activation and connectivity may underlie its antidepressant effects.

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Humans Prefrontal Cortex Female Acupuncture Therapy Male Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared Adult Middle Aged Treatment Outcome Depressive Disorder Depression Psychiatric Status Rating Scales Acupuncture Cortical activation Functional connectivity Mild-to-moderate depressive disorder fNIRS Journal Article Randomized Controlled Trial

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Bin Yang, Tianyu Wang, Fengya Zhu, Yang Liu, Zhi Li, Lan Luo, Lin Yin, Siyi Mao, Jie Wu, Runqing Miao. 2026-06-30. Acupuncture improves depressive symptoms and prefrontal cortical function in mild to moderate depressive disorder: A randomized sham-controlled trial and fNIRS study.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2026.111088

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Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial resource Adult subject Depression subject Depressive Disorder subject Female subject Functional connectivity subject Humans subject Journal Article subject Male subject Middle Aged subject Randomized controlled trials study

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