Abstract
Background: Previous neuroimaging studies have revealed that acupuncture modulates the default mode network (DMN) in healthy subjects and patients with certain disorder. However, few studies have been performed to investigate whether or not acupuncture might modulate the DMN in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Thereby, the aim of the present study was to assess alterations of the DMN induced by acupuncture stimulation in patients with first-episode, drug-naïve MDD.Materials and Methods: Twenty nine patients with first-episode, drug-naïve MDD and 29 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. All the healthy subjects underwent 6-min resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI) scan. While patients underwent acupuncture stimulation for 20-min electro-acupuncture stimulation (EAS) at Baihui acupoint (GV20) and two 6-min R-fMRI scans before and after EAS. Based on the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex (PC/PCC) as the seed region, functional connectivity (FC) method was adopted to examine abnormal DMN in patients by comparing with healthy subjects and to evaluate the influence of EAS on intrinsic connectivity within the DMN in patients with MDD.Results: Compared to healthy subjects, MDD patients had abnormal DMN. Moreover, results showed that EAS at GV20 induced increased FC between the PC/PCC and bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and decreased FC between the PC/PCC and left middle prefrontal cortex, left angualr gyrus and bilateral hippocampus/parahippocampus (HIPP/paraHIPP) in patients with MDD, which were the main brain regions showing significant differences between the patients and healthy subjects.Conclusion: Our findings provide imaging evidence to support that GV20-related acupuncture stimulation may modulate the DMN in patients with first-episode, drug-naïve MDD. This study may partly interpret the neural mechanisms of acupuncture at GV20 which is used to treat patients with MDD in clinical.
Highlights
As a debilitating psychiatric disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by depressed mood, anhedonia, irritability, difficulties in concentration, and abnormalities in appetite and sleep (Nestler et al, 2002)
The current results showed that main Deqi sensations included fullness, dull pain, numbness, soreness, tingling and heaviness
There were no significant differences in terms of age, gender and weight between the patients and healthy subjects
Summary
As a debilitating psychiatric disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by depressed mood, anhedonia, irritability, difficulties in concentration, and abnormalities in appetite and sleep (Nestler et al, 2002). As one of the most commonly recognized resting-state networks, the default mode network (DMN) comprises the brain areas mainly including the middle prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), precuneus (PC), angular gyrus and inferior parietal cortex (IPC; Raichle et al, 2001; Greicius et al, 2003). Several studies have revealed dysfunctional DMN in MDD patients, and altered functional connectivity (FC) between brain regions were mainly located in the middle prefrontal cortex, angular gyrus, ACC and hippocampus (HIPP; Anand et al, 2005a; Tahmasian et al, 2013; Jacobs et al, 2014; Khalsa et al, 2014; Chen et al, 2015; Sankar et al, 2015). Few studies have been performed to investigate whether or not acupuncture might modulate the DMN in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Thereby, the aim of the present study was to assess alterations of the DMN induced by acupuncture stimulation in patients with first-episode, drug-naïve MDD
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
