SynthesisFrontiers in neurology2024
The use of acupuncture for addressing neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with long COVID: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in neurology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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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.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- A longitudinal evaluation of the community-based rehabilitation support programme for Post-COVID-19 condition in Hong Kong.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Acupuncture as a potential host-directed therapeutic strategy in neuroinfectious diseases: a neuroimmune mechanistic perspective.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Utilizing the DMN and DAN to Study the Effects of Acupuncture on Patients with Cognitive Impairment in Long COVID: A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol.Complementary medicine research · 2026Article
- Bridging Gaps in Long COVID Therapy: A Review.Current medicinal chemistry · 2026Review
- Stellate Ganglion Block for the Management of Long COVID Symptoms: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Cureus · 2025Article
- Postoperative Electroacupuncture Boosts Cognitive Function Recovery after Laparotomy in Mice.Biomolecules · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Importance: Acupuncture has been used to treat neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms in China and other parts of the world. These symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, cognitive impairment, anxiety, depression, and insomnia, are common in people experiencing long COVID. Objective: This study aims to explore the feasibility of acupuncture in the treatment of neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms in long COVID patients. Data Sources: A systematic search was conducted in four English and four Chinese databases from inception to 23 June 2023. Literature selection and data extraction were conducted by two pairs of independent reviewers. Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that explored the effect of acupuncture on fatigue, depression, anxiety, cognitive abnormalities, headache, and insomnia were included. Data Extraction and Synthesis: RCTs that explored the effect of acupuncture on fatigue, depression, anxiety, cognitive abnormalities, headache, and insomnia were included. A meta-analysis was performed using R software. Heterogeneity was measured using I Main outcomes and measures: Widely adopted clinical outcome scales included the Fatigue Scale for assessing fatigue, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale for evaluating depression, the Mini-Mental State Examination for assessing cognitive impairment, the Visual Analog Scale for headache severity, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index for measuring insomnia. Results: A total of 110 RCTs were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Overall, acupuncture was found to improve the scores of the Fatigue Scale (vs. medication: mean differences (MD): -2.27, Conclusion and relevance: This systematic review suggested acupuncture as a potentially beneficial approach for the treatment of neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms, as assessed using clinical scales, and it may have applicability in long COVID patients. Further well-designed clinical studies specifically targeting long COVID patients are needed to validate the role of acupuncture in alleviating long COVID symptoms. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, identifier [CRD42022354940].
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