实用医学杂志2025，Vol.41Issue(22)：3618-3624,7.DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2025.22.021
基于伏隔核神经环路探讨抑郁症的发病机制及针灸治疗的研究进展
Exploring the neural circuitry mechanisms of acupuncture for depression:Insights centered on the nucleus accumbens
摘要
Abstract
The pathogenesis and progression of depression are closely associated with functional dysregula-tion 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.关键词
伏隔核/针刺/抑郁症/神经环路/研究进展Key words
nucleus accumbens/acupuncture/depression/neural circuitry/research progress分类
临床医学引用本文复制引用
孙洪艺,骆思宏,张成宇,孟子杭,陈卓,李晓宁..基于伏隔核神经环路探讨抑郁症的发病机制及针灸治疗的研究进展[J].实用医学杂志,2025,41(22):3618-3624,7.基金项目
国家中医药管理局高水平中医药重点学科建设项目(编号:国中医药人教函[2023]85号) （编号:国中医药人教函[2023]85号）
