Electroacupuncture may relieve premenstrual symptoms by rapidly reshaping amygdala communication with emotion, memory, pain, and movement-related brain regions.
Twenty-three patients with premenstrual syndrome received six minutes of electrical acupuncture stimulation at the Sanyinjiao point near the ankle. Researchers collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans immediately before and after stimulation, using each amygdala as a starting region to examine changes in coordinated activity across the brain.
Following stimulation, both amygdalae showed stronger connectivity with the brainstem and right hippocampus, while the right amygdala also became more connected with the orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortices. Connectivity between the amygdalae and movement-related supplementary motor areas decreased, as did connectivity between the left amygdala and thalamus, suggesting acupuncture may alter networks involved in emotional processing, memory, pain regulation, and bodily symptoms.
