Acupuncture Continuing Education Search ...

S
View All News Articles >
Electro-Acupuncture is an Antidepressant Research Find Courses
 22 July 2011

     Acupuncture Interests

New research shows that electroacupuncture has an antidepressant effect and

prevents atrophy of brain cells. Researchers measured that electroacupuncture
prevents atrophy of glial cells in the hippocampus, a portion of the brain. The
researches note that there is mounting data showing that major depressive disorder
is linked to glia cell atrophy. Glial cells form myelin, a dialectric material necessary for
the proper function of the central nervous system. Glial cells also supply
nourishment and oxygen to brain neurons. The researchers posit that the
antidepressant effect of electroacupuncture may be due to its ability to prevent “glial
atrophy in the hippocampus.”
CUS (chronic unpredictable stress) induced depression model rats were used in the
study. The study measured that a “daily session of EA [electroacupuncture]
treatment significantly reversed the behavioral deficit of these depression model
rats.” Electroacupuncture was applied to acupuncture points Du20 (Gv20, BaiHui)
and AnMian (Ex17) unilaterally at a rate of once per day for a period of three weeks.
The antidepressant effects were quantified using physical state analysis and open
field test measurements. The protective effects of electroacupuncture on brain cells
was measured by “immunohistochemistry, Western blot analysis and reverse
transcription-polymerase chain reaction.”

Reference:
Glia atrophy in the hippocampus of chronic unpredictable stress-induced depression
model rats is reversed by electroacupuncture treatment. Qiong Liua, Bing Lia, Hai-Yan
Zhua, Yan-Qing Wanga, Jin Yu and Gen-Cheng Wu. Journal of Affective Disorders, Volume
128, Issue 3, February 2011, Pages 309-313. Institute of Acupuncture Research (WHO
Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine), Department of Integrative Medicine and
Neurobiology, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, State Key Lab of
Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan
University, Shanghai, China.

 Prev Next 

View All News Articles >

You are here:  Home / Acupuncture CEU News / Electro-Acupuncture is an Antidepressant Research

HealthCMi  About HealthCMi  Subscribe to the

Newsletter  Contact Us
4895 Capitola Rd.
 Acupuncture Online
Courses  Acupuncture News  Support
Capitola, CA 95010
Tel. (831) 359-9129  License Renewal  Acupuncture Blog  Site Map
© 2022 Healthcare Medicine Institute | Online CEUs