A new meta-analysis of seven clinical trials and 357 patients found acupuncture activates the caudate nucleus, a brain region central to motivation and reward processing.
Acupuncture targets brain areas distinct from those affected by antidepressant medications, suggesting a complementary rather than replacement role.
The number of acupuncture sessions correlated with greater changes in the amygdala, indicating effects may build over time.
Patients receiving acupuncture showed significantly greater reductions in depression and anxiety scores compared to control groups.
The World Health Organization now recommends acupuncture for over 100 conditions, including depression, as psychiatrists increasingly refer patients for treatment.
Depression doesn’t always announce itself through tears. Clinicians call anhedonia—the loss of pleasure and motivation in activities once enjoyed—one of the most stubborn symptoms of major depressive disorder, often persisting when other signs begin to fade. New brain-imaging research now offers a science-backed explanation for why acupuncture, a practice rooted in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, may help reignite that lost spark.
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