Tu Cheng-Hao, MacDonald Iona, Chen Yi-Hung
Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Department of Photonics and Communication Engineering, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Front Psychiatry. 2019 Feb 12;10:14. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00014. eCollection 2019.
Neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease (AD), are diseases that are directly or indirectly associated with cerebral dysfunction and contribute significantly to disability in adult populations worldwide. Important limitations surround the currently available pharmacologic agents for neuropsychiatric disorders and, moreover, many patients fail to respond to these therapies. Acupuncture might be a complementary therapy for neuropsychiatry disorders. In this review, we investigate the current evidence for the treatment efficacy of acupuncture in depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and AD. Secondly, we review recent advances in understanding of the dysregulated glutamate system underlying the pathophysiology of these disorders. Finally, we discuss the ways in which acupuncture treatment can potentially modulate glutamate receptors and excitatory amino acid transporters. We conclude that the treatment effects of acupuncture may be underpinned by its intervention in the dysregulated glutamate system. Further preclinical and clinical studies are needed to clarify the possible mechanisms of acupuncture in these neuropsychiatric disorders and to establish protocols for treatment guidelines.
神经精神疾病，包括抑郁症、焦虑症、精神分裂症和阿尔茨海默病（AD），是直接或间接与脑功能障碍相关的疾病，在全球成年人群体的残疾问题中占很大比例。目前用于治疗神经精神疾病的药物存在重要局限性，此外，许多患者对这些治疗方法没有反应。针灸可能是治疗神经精神疾病的一种辅助疗法。在本综述中，我们研究了针灸治疗抑郁症、焦虑症、精神分裂症和AD的疗效的现有证据。其次，我们回顾了对这些疾病病理生理学基础的谷氨酸系统失调的最新认识进展。最后，我们讨论了针灸治疗可能调节谷氨酸受体和兴奋性氨基酸转运体的方式。我们得出结论，针灸的治疗效果可能是通过其对失调的谷氨酸系统的干预来实现的。需要进一步的临床前和临床研究来阐明针灸在这些神经精神疾病中的可能机制，并制定治疗指南方案。
