Structural and functional improvement of amygdala sub-regions in postpartum depression after acupuncture
ObjectiveThis study aimed to analyze the changes in structure and function in amygdala sub-regions in patients with postpartum depression (PPD) before and after acupuncture.MethodsA total of 52 patients with PPD (All-PPD group) were included in this trial, 22 of which completed 8 weeks of acupunctur...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1163746/full |
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| author | Xingxian Huang Xingxian Huang Xingxian Huang Yuanyuan Zhuo Yuanyuan Zhuo Xinru Wang Jinping Xu Zhuoxin Yang Zhuoxin Yang Yumei Zhou Yumei Zhou Hanqing Lv Xiaoming Ma Xiaoming Ma Bin Yan Bin Yan Hong Zhao Haibo Yu Haibo Yu |
| author_facet | Xingxian Huang Xingxian Huang Xingxian Huang Yuanyuan Zhuo Yuanyuan Zhuo Xinru Wang Jinping Xu Zhuoxin Yang Zhuoxin Yang Yumei Zhou Yumei Zhou Hanqing Lv Xiaoming Ma Xiaoming Ma Bin Yan Bin Yan Hong Zhao Haibo Yu Haibo Yu |
| author_sort | Xingxian Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ObjectiveThis study aimed to analyze the changes in structure and function in amygdala sub-regions in patients with postpartum depression (PPD) before and after acupuncture.MethodsA total of 52 patients with PPD (All-PPD group) were included in this trial, 22 of which completed 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment (Acu-PPD group). An age-matched control group of 24 healthy postpartum women (HPW) from the hospital and community were also included. Results from the 17-Hamilton Depression Scale (17-HAMD) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were evaluated, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans were performed at baseline and after the acupuncture treatment. Sub-regions of the amygdala were used as seed regions to measure gray matter volume (GMV) and analyzed for resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) values separately. Finally, correlation analyses were performed on all patients with PPD to evaluate association values between the clinical scale scores, GMV, and RSFC values, while controlling for age and education. Pearson's correlation analyses were conducted to investigate the relevance between GMV and RSFC values of brain regions that differed before and after acupuncture treatment and clinical scale scores in Acu-PPD patients.ResultsThe HAMD scores for Acu-PPD were reduced after acupuncture treatment (P < 0.05), suggesting the positive effects of acupuncture on depression symptoms. Structurally, the All-PPD group showed significantly decreased GMV in the left lateral part of the amygdala (lAMG.L) and the right lateral part of the amygdala (lAMG.R) compared to the HPW group (P < 0.05). In addition, the GMV of lAMG.R was marginally increased in the Acu-PPD group after acupuncture (P < 0.05). Functionally, the Acu-PPD group showed a significantly enhanced RSFC between the left medial part of the amygdala (mAMG.L) and the left vermis_6, an increased RSFC between the right medial part of the amygdala (mAMG.R) and left vermis_6, and an increased RSFC between the lAMG.R and left cerebelum_crus1 (P < 0.05). Moreover, correlation studies revealed that the GMV in the lAMG.R was significantly related to the EPDS scores in the All-PPD group (P < 0.05).ConclusionOur findings demonstrated that the structure of amygdala sub-regions is impaired in patients with PPD. Acupuncture may improve depressive symptoms in patients with PPD, and the mechanism may be attributed to changes in the amygdala sub-region structure and the functional connections of brain areas linked to the processing of negative emotions. The fMRI-based technique can provide comprehensive neuroimaging evidence to visualize the central mechanism of action of acupuncture in PPD. |
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| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:54:48Z |
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| series | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-e966d556c9d24583bb63abfa6674d2f12023-05-17T05:35:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612023-05-011710.3389/fnhum.2023.11637461163746Structural and functional improvement of amygdala sub-regions in postpartum depression after acupunctureXingxian Huang0Xingxian Huang1Xingxian Huang2Yuanyuan Zhuo3Yuanyuan Zhuo4Xinru Wang5Jinping Xu6Zhuoxin Yang7Zhuoxin Yang8Yumei Zhou9Yumei Zhou10Hanqing Lv11Xiaoming Ma12Xiaoming Ma13Bin Yan14Bin Yan15Hong Zhao16Haibo Yu17Haibo Yu18The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, ChinaAcupuncture Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, ChinaShenzhen Key Laboratory of Modern Applied Research on Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shenzhen, ChinaAcupuncture Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, ChinaShenzhen Key Laboratory of Modern Applied Research on Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shenzhen, ChinaThe Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Human-Machine Intelligence-Synergy Systems, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, ChinaAcupuncture Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, ChinaShenzhen Key Laboratory of Modern Applied Research on Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shenzhen, ChinaAcupuncture Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, ChinaShenzhen Key Laboratory of Modern Applied Research on Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shenzhen, ChinaAcupuncture Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, ChinaAcupuncture Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, ChinaShenzhen Key Laboratory of Modern Applied Research on Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shenzhen, ChinaAcupuncture Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, ChinaShenzhen Key Laboratory of Modern Applied Research on Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shenzhen, ChinaLuohu District of Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, ChinaAcupuncture Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, ChinaShenzhen Key Laboratory of Modern Applied Research on Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shenzhen, ChinaObjectiveThis study aimed to analyze the changes in structure and function in amygdala sub-regions in patients with postpartum depression (PPD) before and after acupuncture.MethodsA total of 52 patients with PPD (All-PPD group) were included in this trial, 22 of which completed 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment (Acu-PPD group). An age-matched control group of 24 healthy postpartum women (HPW) from the hospital and community were also included. Results from the 17-Hamilton Depression Scale (17-HAMD) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were evaluated, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans were performed at baseline and after the acupuncture treatment. Sub-regions of the amygdala were used as seed regions to measure gray matter volume (GMV) and analyzed for resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) values separately. Finally, correlation analyses were performed on all patients with PPD to evaluate association values between the clinical scale scores, GMV, and RSFC values, while controlling for age and education. Pearson's correlation analyses were conducted to investigate the relevance between GMV and RSFC values of brain regions that differed before and after acupuncture treatment and clinical scale scores in Acu-PPD patients.ResultsThe HAMD scores for Acu-PPD were reduced after acupuncture treatment (P < 0.05), suggesting the positive effects of acupuncture on depression symptoms. Structurally, the All-PPD group showed significantly decreased GMV in the left lateral part of the amygdala (lAMG.L) and the right lateral part of the amygdala (lAMG.R) compared to the HPW group (P < 0.05). In addition, the GMV of lAMG.R was marginally increased in the Acu-PPD group after acupuncture (P < 0.05). Functionally, the Acu-PPD group showed a significantly enhanced RSFC between the left medial part of the amygdala (mAMG.L) and the left vermis_6, an increased RSFC between the right medial part of the amygdala (mAMG.R) and left vermis_6, and an increased RSFC between the lAMG.R and left cerebelum_crus1 (P < 0.05). Moreover, correlation studies revealed that the GMV in the lAMG.R was significantly related to the EPDS scores in the All-PPD group (P < 0.05).ConclusionOur findings demonstrated that the structure of amygdala sub-regions is impaired in patients with PPD. Acupuncture may improve depressive symptoms in patients with PPD, and the mechanism may be attributed to changes in the amygdala sub-region structure and the functional connections of brain areas linked to the processing of negative emotions. The fMRI-based technique can provide comprehensive neuroimaging evidence to visualize the central mechanism of action of acupuncture in PPD.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1163746/fullpostpartum depressionacupuncturefunctional magnetic resonance imagingamygdala sub-regionsfunctional connectivityvoxel-based morphometry |
| spellingShingle | Xingxian Huang Xingxian Huang Xingxian Huang Yuanyuan Zhuo Yuanyuan Zhuo Xinru Wang Jinping Xu Zhuoxin Yang Zhuoxin Yang Yumei Zhou Yumei Zhou Hanqing Lv Xiaoming Ma Xiaoming Ma Bin Yan Bin Yan Hong Zhao Haibo Yu Haibo Yu Structural and functional improvement of amygdala sub-regions in postpartum depression after acupuncture Frontiers in Human Neuroscience postpartum depression acupuncture functional magnetic resonance imaging amygdala sub-regions functional connectivity voxel-based morphometry |
| title | Structural and functional improvement of amygdala sub-regions in postpartum depression after acupuncture |
| title_full | Structural and functional improvement of amygdala sub-regions in postpartum depression after acupuncture |
| title_fullStr | Structural and functional improvement of amygdala sub-regions in postpartum depression after acupuncture |
| title_full_unstemmed | Structural and functional improvement of amygdala sub-regions in postpartum depression after acupuncture |
| title_short | Structural and functional improvement of amygdala sub-regions in postpartum depression after acupuncture |
| title_sort | structural and functional improvement of amygdala sub regions in postpartum depression after acupuncture |
| topic | postpartum depression acupuncture functional magnetic resonance imaging amygdala sub-regions functional connectivity voxel-based morphometry |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1163746/full |
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