Meta-Analysis of Acupuncture Neuroimaging Effects in Chronic Pain Patients

17 randomized controlled trials comprising 750 patients with chronic pain were synthesized in this meta-analysis. The study, authored by Xin Ma and updated in May 2026, quantifies acupuncture's effects on brain networks like the anterior cingulate cortex and insula, and its clinical efficacy measured by Visual Analogue Scale scores.

Use Cases

• Validate acupuncture's clinical efficacy based on reported Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score reductions.
• Analyze brain network modulation based on neuroimaging indicators for the anterior cingulate cortex and insula.
• Investigate subtype-specific effects based on the reported pronounced efficacy for osteoarticular pain.
• Assess safety profiles based on the reported incidence of only mild adverse events.

Strengths

• Includes data from 17 high-quality RCTs with 750 patients.
• Reports specific mean difference (MD) values and p-values for key brain regions and clinical outcomes.
• Evidence quality for pain relief rate was rated as high according to the GRADE assessment.

Limitations

• The dataset is a 15.1 KB document; the underlying tabular data structure and column definitions are unknown.
• The description notes evidence is constrained by a limited number of studies, heterogeneity in pain subtypes and neuroimaging modalities, and short follow-up durations.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale analysis.

Provenance

Source

Systematic review registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261290299).

Collection Method

Meta-analysis of RCTs identified via comprehensive searches of English and Chinese databases from 2016–2025.

Time Range

Studies published between 2016 and 2025.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-01 13:46:45.

Geography

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