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Exploring the neural circuitry mechanisms of acupuncture for depression： Insights centered on the nucleus accumbens
Received date: 2025-06-08
Online published: 2025-11-26
The pathogenesis and progression of depression are closely associated with functional dysregulation in the brain's reward and emotion-modulating circuits. As the central hub of the reward system， the nucleus accumbens （NAc） forms aberrant neural circuits with multiple brain regions?including the ventral tegmental area （VTA）， medial prefrontal cortex （mPFC）， amygdala （AMY）， hippocampus （HIP）， and paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus （PVT）?which have been empirically linked to depressive symptomatology. Acupuncture， with its multi-target therapeutic profile， aligns well with the multifactorial and multisystem dysregulation characteristic of depressive disorders.This review systematically examines the functional alterations of the NAc-centered neural circuitry in depression and explores the potential mechanisms of acupuncture intervention. Evidence suggests that acupuncture holistically ameliorates depression by： modulating dopaminergic transmission in the VTA-NAc pathway， enhancing neurotransmitter equilibrium in the mPFC-NAc circuit， bidirectionally regulating emotional stability via the AMY-NAc loop， attenuating HIP-NAc glutamatergic hyperactivity， and optimizing excitatory signaling in the thalamus-NAc circuit. Furthermore， this synthesis emphasizes a systems-level integration of circuit mechanisms， highlighting both the clinical applicability of acupuncture in depression treatment and recent advances in mechanistic research. The findings provide robust theoretical foundations and practical guidance for clinical practice， bridging translational neuroscience with therapeutic innovation.
Key words： nucleus accumbens; acupuncture; depression; neural circuitry; research progress
Hongyi SUN , Sihong LUO , Chengyu ZHANG , Zihang MENG , Zhuo CHEN , Xiaoning LI . Exploring the neural circuitry mechanisms of acupuncture for depression： Insights centered on the nucleus accumbens[J]. The Journal of Practical Medicine, 2025 , 41(22) : 3618 -3624 . DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2025.22.021
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