--- title: Does acupuncture at a specific point change brain activity in women with PMS? description: Yes, acupuncture at the SP6 point changed activity in several brain regions. It is unclear whether these changes help with PMS symptoms. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/altered-brain-regional-homogeneity-following-electro-acupuncture-stimulation-at-2018/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does acupuncture at a specific point change brain activity in women with PMS? Study, 2018 # Does acupuncture at a specific point change brain activity in women with PMS? Yes, acupuncture at the SP6 point changed activity in several brain regions. It is unclear whether these changes help with PMS symptoms. Early or limited evidence 23 women with PMS ## What they did 23 women with PMS had brain scans before and after 6 minutes of electroacupuncture at a specific point called SP6. ## What they found Brain activity changed in several regions. Some areas showed less activity (the bilateral precuneus, right inferior frontal cortex, and left middle frontal cortex). Others showed more activity (the bilateral thalamus, bilateral insula, left putamen, and right primary somatosensory cortex). ## What it means for you This shows that acupuncture can change brain activity in women with PMS. However, the study was very small (23 women), with only one treatment session, and had no control group to compare with, so we don't know if these brain changes actually help with symptoms. 23 women with PMS 6 minutes duration of acupuncture treatment ## About the study Original title Altered Brain Regional Homogeneity Following Electro-Acupuncture Stimulation at Sanyinjiao (SP6) in Women With Premenstrual Syndrome Authors Pang Y, Liu H, Duan G et al. Journal Frontiers in human neuroscience Year 2018 Study design Study What was tested Electroacupuncture at acupoint SP6 Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00104](https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00104) Original abstract Background : Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a menstrual cycle-related disorder which causes physical and mood changes prior to menstruation and is associated with the functional dysregulation of the brain. Acupuncture is an effective alternative therapy for treating PMS, and sanyinjiao (SP6) is one of the most common acupoints used for improving the symptoms of PMS. However, the mechanism behind acupuncture's efficacy for relieving PMS symptoms remains unclear. The aim of this study was to identify the brain response patterns induced by acupuncture at acupoint SP6 in patients with PMS. Materials and Methods : Twenty-three females with PMS were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent resting-state fMRI data collection before and after 6 min of electroacupuncture stimulation (EAS) at SP6. A regional homogeneity (ReHo) approach was used to compare patients' brain responses before and after EAS at SP6 using REST software. The present study was registered at http://www.chictr.org.cn, and the Clinical Trial Registration Number is ChiCTR-OPC-15005918. Results : EAS at SP6 elicited decreased ReHo value at the bilateral precuneus, right inferior frontal cortex (IFC) and left middle frontal cortex (MFC). In contrast, increased ReHo value was found at the bilateral thalamus, bilateral insula, left putamen and right primary somatosensory cortex (S1). Conclusions : Our study provides an underlying neuroimaging evidence that the aberrant neural activity of PMS patients could be regulated by acupuncture at SP6. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Acupuncture and acupressure](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-acupuncture/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Systematic review, 2024 What are the best treatments for PMDD and PMS? Systematic review, 2022 What are the best treatments for PMDD and PMS? Systematic review, 2014 Do acupuncture and herbal medicine help PMS or PMDD symptoms? Review, 2026 Can traditional Chinese medicine help treat PMDD? Review, 2023 Can herbs and supplements help with PMS symptoms? Survey study, 1998 How common is PMS and what treatments do women use? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗