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This systematic review examined how acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and other non-invasive neuromodulation techniques — including repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial electrical stimulation, and transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation — affect depression-like behaviours in animal models. The review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and included twenty-nine studies covering a range of animal models, such as chronic stress, post-stroke depression, inflammation-induced depression, and depression linked to metabolic abnormalities.
The findings show that these interventions act simultaneously across three major biological systems. In the nervous system, they enhance synaptic remodelling and support neuroplasticity. In the immune system, they reduce inflammatory signalling and lower the overall inflammatory burden. In the endocrine system, they help to recalibrate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which governs the body’s stress response. Together, these effects interrupt self-reinforcing cycles of dysfunction and help restore overall physiological balance.
The review highlights that acupuncture and electroacupuncture share meaningful mechanistic similarities with other non-invasive approaches, suggesting common downstream pathways. The therapeutic potential appears particularly relevant for depression associated with inflammation or metabolic disturbance. The authors note that future research should clarify the precise causal relationships within the neuro-immune-endocrine axis and work towards translating these animal findings into optimised clinical treatments for human patients.
Conclusion: This systematic review of animal studies provides encouraging evidence that acupuncture and related non-invasive neuromodulation techniques exert antidepressant-like effects by simultaneously improving neuroplasticity, reducing inflammation, and stabilising hormonal function.
Source: Sun Y, Cheng Y, Guo Y and colleagues. Current opinion in pharmacology (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42218106) · doi:10.1016/j.coph.2026.102634