MR imaging shows how acupuncture improves brain structure after TBI
New imaging data suggest that acupuncture for patients with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) may help heal the brain on a structural level.
The study, published in RSNA’s Radiology, indicates that acupuncture therapy can improve white matter integrity and reduce the symptoms associated with severe concussions. Experts involved in the study are hopeful the treatment could offer individuals struggling with postconcussion syndrome (PCI) an alternative treatment.
“Current PCS management options include pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments such as analgesics, antidepressants, nutraceuticals and physical therapy; however, these approaches are often ineffective and carry the risk of adverse effects,” Li-Jun Bai, PhD, with the department of biomedical engineering at the School of Life Science and Technology, in China, and co-authors noted. “With increasing interest in nonpharmacologic alternatives, acupuncture has emerged as a potential option for its low adverse effect profile.”
Researchers conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled trial on a group of patients with TBI to determine how different types of acupuncture impact neural health. Participants were divided into three groups—one that received verum acupuncture, one that underwent sham acupuncture and another cohort of controls. Both acupuncture groups received 14 sessions over 4 weeks and underwent baseline and follow-up MRI scans at either the 6- or 12-month follow-up mark.
On imaging, both acupuncture groups showed decreased fractional anisotropy in the right cerebral peduncle, anterior limb of the internal capsule, posterior corona radiata (PCR), and cingulum-hippocampus. The verum acupuncture group displayed improved fractional anisotropy of the right PCR. These findings correlated with improved PCS scores—measures of the severity of symptoms—in patients for up to 12 months. This could point to a potential link between structural plasticity and long-term outcomes, the group suggested.
“Changes in diffusion metrics of the white matter tracts were predominantly lateralized to the right. This pattern is consistent with previous reports suggesting hemispheric asymmetry in mTBI-related microstructural changes,” the authors explained. “One possible explanation for this lateralization is that the left hemisphere has more densely packed axonal branches, potentially providing greater structural resilience to mechanical stresses, such as shear or rotational forces.”
In addition to the white matter improvements owed to acupuncture, the group also emphasized their finding related to the right posterior corona radiata specifically; they suggested this could represent a therapeutic target for evaluating treatment responses in mTBI patients.
Read more about the study here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.