Immediate and sustained effects of acupuncture on the default mode network
Xiaotong Wang, Tao Huang, H. Lei, Qiongwen Cui, Wanjia Wei, Hai-Xiong Lin
Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria September 29, 2025 DOI: 10.47626/1516-4446-2025-4202 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Healthy participants |
| Intervention | Acupuncture |
| Duration | Three 20-minute phases (pre-needle insertion, during needle retention, post-needle removal) |
| Measures | functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), functional connectivity (FC) |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | Acupuncture at GV20 and GV29 was associated with changes in default mode network connectivity: decreased medial prefrontal cortex-angular gyrus connectivity after needle removal, increased posterior cingulate/precuneus to left cerebellar region 8 connectivity during and after needling, and decreased angular gyrus to left superior medial frontal gyrus connectivity during and after needling. The authors suggest these effects are sustained rather than only immediate. |
Abstract
Objective: To investigate, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques, the immediate and sustained effects of acupuncture on functional connectivity (FC) within the default mode network (DMN) and external FC.
Methods: Thirty healthy participants received acupuncture needle stimulation at Baihui (GV20) and Yintang (GV29) and underwent resting-state fMRI scans in three phases: pre-needle insertion, during needle retention, and post-needle removal. Each phase lasted 20 minutes.
Results: In terms of within-network connectivity of the DMN, post-needle removal scans showed a decrease in FC between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the angular gyrus (ANG) compared to pre-needle insertion scans. The FC analysis from seed points to whole-brain voxels showed the following changes: compared to pre-needle insertion scans, acupuncture needle insertion increased the FC between the posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus (PCC/PCU) and Cerebellum_8_L; acupuncture needle withdrawal increased the FC between the PCC/PCU and Cerebellum_8_L; acupuncture needle insertion decreased the FC between ANG and Frontal_Sup_Medial_L; and acupuncture needle withdrawal decreased the FC between ANG and Frontal_Sup_Medial_L.
Conclusion: These results suggested that acupuncture has an impact on the DMN and that these effects are sustained, not just immediate.