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Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), or shock therapy, remains a critical biomedical intervention for severe, treatment-resistant depression. While its origins can be traced back to Hippocrates' observations that malaria-induced convulsions alleviated mental illness, modern ECT has evolved significantly from its earlier, more primitive applications. First introduced in 1938 by Ugo Cerletti and his colleagues, ECT involves inducing controlled seizures using electrical currents. In its early years,...

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Manipulation of Epileptiform Electrocorticograms (ECoGs) and Sleep in Rats and Mice by Acupuncture
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Electroacupuncture: mechanisms and clinical application

G A Ulett1, S Han, J S Han

  • 1University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Medicine, St. Louis 63139, USA.

Biological Psychiatry
|July 1, 1998
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Acupuncture, particularly electroacupuncture (EA), effectively relieves pain by releasing natural pain-relieving substances like endorphins. This ancient Chinese medicine

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Last Updated: Jul 11, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pain Management
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

  • Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice for pain relief and disease treatment.
  • The precise mechanisms underlying acupuncture's analgesic effects require further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review major findings from studies investigating the mechanisms of acupuncture-induced pain relief.
  • To compare the efficacy of manual acupuncture, electroacupuncture (EA), and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).

Main Methods:

  • Comparative studies of manual acupuncture and EA.
  • Experiments using transcutaneous electrical stimulation with skin patch electrodes.
  • Cross-perfusion experiments with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) transfer in rabbits.
  • Pharmacological blockade studies using naloxone and antiserum against endorphins.
  • Analysis of neurotransmitter release in CSF following EA in animals and humans.

Main Results:

  • Acupuncture, especially EA, demonstrates significant analgesic effects.
  • Electrical stimulation via skin patch electrodes is comparable in efficacy to EA.
  • Evidence suggests the involvement of humoral factors and opioid peptides (endorphins, enkephalins, dynorphins) in acupuncture analgesia.
  • EA at different frequencies selectively induces the release of specific opioid peptides.

Conclusions:

  • Acupuncture, particularly EA, activates endogenous pain-relief pathways involving opioid peptides.
  • Humoral factors and opioid release in the CSF play a crucial role in mediating acupuncture analgesia.
  • Acupuncture shows potential for treating various conditions including pain, depression, anxiety, and gastrointestinal disorders.