Supplementary file 3_Effect of acupuncture on monoaminergic neurotransmitters in animal mo

A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis by Lixiang Gan synthesizes evidence from nine animal studies involving 386 rodents. The document analyzes the effect of acupuncture on monoaminergic neurotransmitter levels and cognitive function in models of vascular dementia. It reports standardized mean differences for serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine, and long-term potentiation outcomes.

Use Cases

• Conducting secondary analysis of preclinical meta-analytic results based on reported standardized mean differences.
• Reviewing methodological approaches for animal studies in vascular dementia based on the described PRISMA and SYRCLE framework.
• Identifying gaps for future research based on the noted heterogeneity and small sample sizes.
• Studying the relationship between monoaminergic systems and cognitive performance in animal models based on the described outcomes.

Strengths

• Includes quantitative results from a meta-analysis of nine studies.
• Reports specific standardized mean difference (SMD) values for key neurotransmitters (e.g., 5-HT SMD=1.35, NE SMD=2.67).
• Follows a structured review methodology (PRISMA 2020 guidelines).

Limitations

• The primary data file is a DOCX document (525.8 KB); the underlying raw data from the included studies is not provided.
• Row count and column-level documentation for any underlying data are unknown.
• The authors note substantial heterogeneity and small sample sizes in the included studies.

Provenance

Source

Lixiang Gan via figshare.

Collection Method

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled animal studies.

Time Range

Literature search conducted from database inception to October 2025.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-11.