Review Article

Role of Acupuncture in the Management of Severe Acquired Brain Injuries (sABIs)

Table 3

Acupuncture and neuroplasticity.

MAIN MECHANISMS BY WHICH ACUPUNCTURE MAY INFLUENCE THE PHYSIOLOGIC PLASTIC REACTIONS TO BRAIN INJURY

(i) Inhibition of brain neuronal apoptosis(vii) Reduction of blood-brain barrier permeability in intracerebral haemorrhage (caveolin-1/matrix metalloproteinase)

(ii) Inhibition of aberrant astrocyte activation(viii) Regulation of blood lipid metabolism to counteract cerebral free radical damage

(iii) Upregulation of neurotrophins expression(ix) Promoting cerebral vascular immunoinflammatory reactions

(iv) Upregulate expression of GDNF (x) Increase of GABA level

(v) Increased functional connectivity(xi) Reduce contents of excitatory amino acids

(vi) Enhanced neuroblast proliferation and differentiation ā€‰