Mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of mild and moderate postpartum depression:A review
Postpartum depression is a form of depression that occurs during the unique period following childbirth.It not only affects the mother's physical and mental health but also interferes with the establishment of the mother-infant bond and has long-term negative effects on the baby's development.Existing research indicates that acupuncture can increase serum estradiol and progesterone concentrations in patients with postpartum depression,down-regulate the levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol,and regulate the levels of neurotransmitter,including 5-hydroxytryptamine,dopamine,norepinephrine,andγ-aminobutyric acid.Additionally,acupuncture can adjust the function of the brain-gut axis and improve brain structure and function.It can alleviate depressive symptoms by increasing the number of beneficial bacteria in the patient's tissues of intestines,such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli,or by improving the functional connections and abnormal conditions in brain areas.This article reviewed the mechanisms of acu-puncture in treating postpartum depression from four perspectives:regulating endocrine hormone levels,im-proving neurotransmitter levels,optimizing brain-gut axis function,and enhancing brain structure and function.The destin was to provide deeper insights into the use of acupuncture for this condition and to offer new ideas for clinical diagnosis and treatment.
acupuncturepostpartum depressionmechanismendocrine hormoneneuro-transmitterbrain-gut axisfunctional magnetic resonanceresearch progress
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维普
