Meta-Analysis of Acupuncture and Neuroimaging in Chronic Pain Patients

17 randomized controlled trials comprising 750 patients with chronic pain, primarily osteoarticular pain and migraine, were analyzed. The document, authored by Xin Ma and last updated in May 2026, synthesizes evidence on acupuncture's effects on brain networks and clinical pain outcomes. It reports significant improvements in neuroimaging indicators for regions like the anterior cingulate cortex and reductions in Visual Analogue Scale scores.

Use Cases

• Validate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture based on aggregated pain relief rates from 17 RCTs.
• Analyze brain network-clinical outcome associations based on neuroimaging indicators for the default mode network and other regions.
• Assess treatment safety profiles based on the reported incidence of only mild adverse events.
• Compare treatment effects across pain subtypes based on the finding of more pronounced efficacy for osteoarticular pain.

Strengths

• Includes 17 high-quality RCTs with a total sample of 750 patients.
• Reports specific statistical results, such as a mean difference of -2.31 for Visual Analogue Scale scores.
• Evidence quality for pain relief rate was rated as high according to the GRADE assessment.
• Registered with PROSPERO (CRD420261290299), indicating a systematic review protocol.

Limitations

• The dataset is a 523 KB DOCX file, indicating a limited scope focused on the review document rather than raw trial data.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The description notes evidence is constrained by a limited number of studies, heterogeneity in pain subtypes, and short follow-up durations.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs identified from English and Chinese databases (2016–2025).

Time Range

Studies published between 2016 and 2025.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-01 13:46:44; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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