Neural mechanisms of acupuncture as revealed by fMRI studies

• Acupuncture could not only affect brain activity, but modulate connectivity of brain.
• Acupuncture at diseases-related acupoints modulates diseases-related brain regions.
• Acupuncture regulates brain network which are overlapped with pain-related areas.

As an ancient therapeutic method, acupuncture has been used to treat many diseases as an adjunctive therapy. However, its clinical efficacy remains controversial and the neural mechanisms have not been well understood. Accumulating studies have revealed that fMRI has made it possible to study brain responses to acupuncture. This review aims to provide scientific evidence to support the notion and discuss how these findings contribute to the neural mechanisms of acupuncture.