Table 1.
Summary of Clinical Application of Acupuncture in Treatment of Migraine
| Intervention | Model | Method | Mechanisms | Migraine Types | Model Methods | Intervention | Comparison | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acupuncture | Rats | Animal experiment | 1. Decreased levels of CGRP and inflammatory cytokines 2. Regulated TLR4/NF-κB to inhibit microglial activation 3. Reduced BDNF levels |
NA | Dural cannula implantation and repeated inflammatory decoction injection | EA | Blank control Sham EA |
[36] |
| 1. Decreased PGE2 levels, as well as IL-1β and COX2 protein expression, and neurogenic plasma protein extravasation levels 2. Decreased MMP-2 activity and affected CB1 receptors 3. Reduced the release of CGRP |
NA | Unilateral electrical stimulation of the trigeminal ganglion | EA | Minimal acupuncture | [15] | |||
| 1. Inhibited dural mast cells, macrophages, and serum inflammatory factors 2. Inhibited hyperalgesia by alleviating inflammatory factors |
NA | Dural electrical stimulation | EA | Sham EA | [24] | |||
| 1. Decreased serum PGE2 and CGRP concentrations, IL-1β mRNA and protein, NF-κB p65, NF-κB Ac-p65 and COX2 protein expression | NA | Electrical stimulation of the trigeminal ganglion | EA | EA plus EX527 (a SIRT1 inhibitor) | [38] | |||
| Rats | Systematic review | 1. Alleviated neurogenic inflammation and central nociceptive conduction via the regulation of meningeal vasodilation and inflammatory factors | NA | NTG-induced migraine rats | Manual acupuncture or EA | Blank control | [34] | |
| Human | Before-after study | 1. Reduced the levels of serum NO 2. Reduced the release of CGRP |
Migraine with aura and without aura | NA | Acupuncture | Healthy control | [35] | |
| 1. Decreased levels of glutamate | Migraine without aura | NA | Manual acupuncture | Healthy control | [45] | |||
| 1. Increased FCs between AMYG and MFG, AMYG and INS, IPL and SFG, IPL and MFG, Hipp and SFG, Hipp and MFG, Hipp and INS, and CG and SFG 2. Restored the pain processing function and regulates pain perception |
Migraine without aura | NA | Manual acupuncture | Healthy control | [51] | |||
| 1. Modulated the abnormal function of the frontal gyrus, temporal gyrus, precuneus, and cuneus in patients with migraine 2. Increased the GM volume of left cuneus |
Migraine without aura | NA | Acupuncture | Blank control | [52] | |||
| RCT | 1. Alleviated emotional disorders by modulating the frontal-limbic regions | Menstrual migraine without aura | NA | Manual acupuncture | Sham acupuncture | [53] |
Abbreviations: AMGY, Amygdala; BDNF, Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; CB1, Type 1 cannabinoid; CG, Cingulate gyrus; CGRP, Calcitonin gene-related peptide; COX2, Cyclooxygenase-2; EA, Electroacupuncture; FC, Functional connectivity; GM, Gray matter; Hipp, Hippocampus; IL-1β, Interleukin-1β; INS, Insular gyrus; IPL, Inferior parietal lobule; MFG, Middle frontal gyrus; MMP-2, Matrix metalloproteinase-2; NA, Not applicable; NF-κB, Nuclear factor-kappa B; NO, Nitric oxide; NTG, nitroglycerine; PGE2, Prostaglandin E2; RCT, Randomized controlled trial; SFG, Superior frontal gyrus; SIRT1, Silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog-1; TLR4, Toll-like receptor 4.