Research progress on the mechanism of neural electrical information transmission in acupuncture intervention of depression

Acupuncture has been proven effective in treating depressive disorders, and its neuroelectrophysiological mechanisms have drawn increasing scientific attention. This paper reviews recent neuroelectrophysiological studies on acupuncture in the treatment of depressive disorders. Studies have shown that acupuncture can modulate the Alpha and Theta wave frequencies and amplitudes of electroencephalograms; improve the latency and amplitude of event-related potential such as P300 and mismatch negativity (MMN); enhance the amplitude of motor-evoked potential and short-interval intracortical inhibition as measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation-electromyography (TMS-EMG); regulate both spontaneous and induced rhythmic activities; increase motor cortex excitability; and promote the electrical signal transmission in neuronal clusters. Acupuncture can enhance the long-term potentiation (LTP) detected by PCRT, repair the plasticity of synaptic functions, and promote the transmission of synaptic information; lower the action potential (AP) and population spike (PS) membrane voltage detected by PCRT, inhibit abnormal neuronal excitability, and restore electrical signal transmission across neuronal membranes. These findings, as summarized in this review, may reflect potential neuroelectrical signal transmission mechanisms involved in the acupuncture interventions for depressive disorders. 针刺治疗抑郁障碍疗效肯定, 其神经电生理机制日益引起关注.本文梳理了近年来针刺干预抑郁障碍的神经电生理研究资料, 总结发现针刺可调节脑电图Alpha,Theta波频率及波幅, 改善事件相关电位P300,失匹配负波(MMN)潜伏期及波幅, 改善经颅磁刺激-肌电图表征的动作诱发电位(MEP)波幅及短间隔皮质内抑制(SICI), 调节自发性及诱发性节律活动, 增强运动皮层兴奋性, 促进神经元集群的电信息传递;增强膜片钳技术(Patch clamp recording technique, PCRT)表征的长时程增强(Long-term potentiation, LTP), 修复突触功能可塑性, 促进突触电信息传递;下调膜片钳技术(Patch clamp recording technique, PCRT)表征的动作电位(action potential, AP)和群峰电位(population spike, PS)膜电压, 抑制异常神经元兴奋性, 恢复神经元细胞膜内,外的电信息传递.以上可能是针刺干预抑郁障碍的神经电信息传递机制.