ArticleEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2012
Neural acupuncture unit: a new concept for interpreting effects and mechanisms of acupuncture.
Article in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 5 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 104 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
An Assessor-Blinded, Randomised Controlled Trial of Acupuncture to Prevent Chemobrain in Breast Cancer Patients
A Multisite, Assessor-blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial of Acupuncture for Post-stroke Depression
Combining Acupuncture and Acupressure for Dementia Elderly: an Assessor-blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial
Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) and Dense Cranial Electroacupuncture Stimulation (DCEAS) for Psychiatric Sequelae and Related Biomarkers in Women Victims of Domestic Violence: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Dense Cranial Electroacupuncture Stimulation Plus Body Acupuncture for Adolescents With Psychological Distress: a Randomized Controlled Trial With Observations on Salivary Oxytocin and Cortisol Changes
Who cites it
104 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Does the outcome of acupuncture differ according to the location of sham needling points in acupuncture trials for migraine? A systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers of medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Evidence evaluation of acupuncture and its related therapies for female urinary incontinence: an overview and quality assessment of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Plausible Mechanism of Sham Acupuncture Based on Biomarkers: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Effectiveness of physical therapy techniques and methods in the management of endometriosis symptoms: A systematic review with meta-analysis.Brazilian journal of physical therapyPooled it
- Efficacy of Superficial Acupuncture Stimulation with Dynamic Mobilization in Chronic Neck Pain: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of pain research · 2026Trial
- Acupuncture for chemotherapy-associated insomnia in breast cancer patients: an assessor-participant blinded, randomized, sham-controlled trial.Breast cancer research : BCR · 2023Trial
- Acupuncture in persons with an increased stress level-Results from a randomized-controlled pilot trial.PloS one · 2020Trial
- Trial
- Acupuncture combined with methylcobalamin for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in patients with multiple myeloma.BMC cancer · 2017Trial
- Acupuncture treatment modulates the corticostriatal reward circuitry in major depressive disorder.Journal of psychiatric research · 2017Trial
- A pilot controlled trial of a combination of dense cranial electroacupuncture stimulation and body acupuncture for post-stroke depression.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2014Trial
- Dense cranial electroacupuncture stimulation for major depressive disorder--a single-blind, randomized, controlled study.PloS one · 2012Trial
- Electroacupuncture Plus Auricular Acupressure for Chemotherapy-Associated Insomnia in Breast Cancer Patients: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.Integrative cancer therapiesTrial
- Combining electroacupuncture and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for psychiatric disorders in women victims of domestic violence: An assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial.General psychiatry · 2026Article
- Cutaneous TRPV4 Potentiates the Afferent Transmission of Electroacupuncture Stimulation.ACS omega · 2026Article
- Therapeutic mechanisms of acupuncture therapy for acute pain in the emergency department.Integrative medicine research · 2026Review
- Acupuncture and Acupressure for Cancer Symptom Management: an Opinion Statement Based on Preliminary Evidence Mapping.Current treatment options in oncology · 2026Review
- Skin-Brain Axis: neural pathways in acupuncture treatment.Chinese medicine · 2025Review
- Article
44 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
When an acupuncture needle is inserted into a designated point on the body and mechanical or electrical stimulation is delivered, various neural and neuroactive components are activated. The collection of the activated neural and neuroactive components distributed in the skin, muscle, and connective tissues surrounding the inserted needle is defined as a neural acupuncture unit (NAU). The traditionally defined acupoints represent an anatomical landmark system that indicates local sites where NAUs may contain relatively dense and concentrated neural and neuroactive components, upon which acupuncture stimulation would elicit a more efficient therapeutic response. The NAU-based local mechanisms of biochemical and biophysical reactions play an important role in acupuncture-induced analgesia. Different properties of NAUs are associated with different components of needling sensation. There exist several central pathways to convey NAU-induced acupuncture signals, Electroacupuncture (EA) frequency-specific neurochemical effects are related to different peripheral and central pathways transmitting afferent signals from different frequency of NAU stimulation. More widespread and intense neuroimaging responses of brain regions to acupuncture may be a consequence of more efficient NAU stimulation modes. The introduction of the conception of NAU provides a new theoretical approach to interpreting effects and mechanisms of acupuncture in modern biomedical knowledge framework.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.