@article{ZHANG2026, 
author = {Ren-zhen ZHANG and Cui MA and Ting-ting DOU and Li LI and Hong-yu LU and Ming-li SU and Xing-ke YAN},
title = {Research progress on neural circuit mechanisms of acupuncture intervention in pain-related emotions},
year = {2026},
journal = {Acupuncture Research},
volume = {51},
number = {8},
pages = {1106-1112},
keywords = {Pain-related emotions, Neural circuits, Acupuncture, Anxiety, Depression, Pain-aversive memory},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.13702/j.1000-0607.20250612},
doi = {10.13702/j.1000-0607.20250612},
abstract = {The occurrence and development of pain-related emotions are closely associated with structural and functional alterations in central neural circuits. Acupuncture can effectively alleviate pain-related emotions and reduce pain-associated negative emotions such as anxiety, depression and pain-aversive memory, and its mechanism is tightly correlated with the regulatory effect of acupuncture on the functions of specific neural circuits. This article sorts out the pain-related emotion-associated neural circuits modulated by acupuncture, and summarizes the relevant circuits as follows: the anxiety-related circuits include rostral anterior cingulate cortex glutamatergic neurons → thalamus (rACCGlu→Th), rostral anterior cingulate cortex glutamatergic neurons → dorsal raphe nucleus (rACCGlu→DRN), rostral anterior cingulate cortex glutamatergic neurons → ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (rACCGlu→vlPAG), basolateral amygdala CaMKⅡ neurons → rostral anterior cingulate cortex (BLACaMKⅡ→rACC), and ventral tegmental area dopaminergic neurons → nucleus accumbens (VTADA→NAc); the depression-related circuit is infralimbic cortex CaMKⅡα+ neurons → basolateral amygdala (ILCaMKⅡα+→BLA); the circuit related to pain-aversive memory and reward is infralimbic cortex glutamatergic neurons → nucleus accumbens (ILGlu→NAc). Among these, acupuncture may exert analgesic and anxiolytic effects by inhibiting the rACCGlu→Th and rACCGlu→vlPAG circuits, and activating the rACCGlu→DRN, BLACaMKⅡ→rACC and VTADA→NAc circuits; produce analgesic and antidepressant effects by suppressing the ILCaMKⅡα+→BLA circuit; and achieve analgesic effects as well as regulate pain-aversive memory and reward by activating the ILGlu→NAc circuit. This review provides a reference for the research and application of neural circuit mechanisms underlying acupuncture treatment of pain-related emotions.}
}