Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41551313›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in neurology2025

Neural mechanisms of acupuncture in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: a protocol for an fMRI-based systematic review and meta-analysis.

Tao Zhu, Dan Yang, Fei Quan, Yizhou Chen, Jin Cui

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Tao Zhu *School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China.
Dan Yang *School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China.
Fei QuanDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China.
Yizhou ChenSchool of Acupuncture and Tuina, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China.
Jin CuiSchool of Acupuncture and Tuina, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), characterized by progressive memory decline, represents a prevalent transitional state in global aging populations and exhibits high conversion rates to Alzheimer's disease (AD), constituting a critical window for preventive interventions. While accumulating evidence supports acupuncture's efficacy in enhancing cognitive performance, the precise neural mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects remain poorly characterized. This neuroimaging investigation aims to elucidate the cerebral reorganization patterns mediating acupuncture-induced cognitive improvement in aMCI pathophysiology. Methods and analysis: A systematic search strategy was implemented across eight electronic databases supplemented by manual searches, covering publications from each database's inception to May 1, 2025. Eligible study designs included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), prospective case-control studies, and observational investigations. Two independent investigators performed literature screening and data extraction, with discrepancies resolved through consensus or third-party adjudication. Methodological quality appraisal was conducted using the validated Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) checklist. Primary outcomes focused on resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) whole-brain functional imaging parameters. Meta-analytic synthesis of neuroimaging data will utilize seed-based d mapping with permutation of subject images (SDM-PSI, version 6.21), while clinical outcome analyses will be performed using RevMan 5.3 software (Cochrane Collaboration). Reporting will strictly adhere to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Conclusion: This study synthesizes findings from independent neuroimaging investigations to establish comprehensive evidence supporting the neurotherapeutic effects of acupuncture in aMCI. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, Identifier CRD420251033511.

Indexed as

acupuncturemeta-analysismild cognitive impairmentneural effectsprotocolsystematic review

Identifiers

PMID41551313
PMCPMC12807973

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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.