Effects of 8-weeks acupuncture on eyes-closed resting state natural EEG frequency components in endometriosis
AcuEndo trial sub-study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21283318 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Frances M De Blasio (0000-0003-1442-9820, University of Wollongong), Lauren S Dewsbury (0000-0003-0063-5228, Western Sydney University), Mike Armour (0000-0001-7539-9851, Western Sydney University), Adele E Cave (0000-0001-8645-5126, Western Sydney University), Genevieve Z Steiner-Lim (Western Sydney University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 265 |
| Pages | 106634 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Acta Psychologica (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0001-6918 • E-ISSN: 1873-6297 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.106634 |
| PMID | 41830820 |
| OpenAlex | W7135245955 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 78 |
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine changes in resting electroencephalography (EEG) activity associated with an 8-week acupuncture intervention for women with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain. METHODS: Eighteen women aged 18-45 years with laparoscopic diagnosis of endometriosis completed this study. The treatment group (n = 13) received 16 acupuncture sessions over eight weeks, administered in 45-min sessions twice weekly. Self-reported daily pain ratings and eyes-closed resting state EEG were obtained pre- and post-intervention (T1, T2). The control group was insufficient and omitted. Frequency principal components analysis (fPCA) was used to decompose EEG data for each timepoint. RESULTS: Four fPCA component pairs showed suitable correspondence between T1 and T2: Alpha-II (9 Hz), alpha-III/IV (~10-11 Hz), beta-I (19 Hz), and beta-II (~26 Hz). From T1 to T2, global alpha-II amplitude increased, peak alpha-III/IV frequency increased and amplitude decreased, whilst beta-I amplitude decreased. The relative alpha-III/IV amplitude reduction was associated with the relative reduction in pain severity scores. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in alpha-III/IV peak frequency and amplitude, and the relationship with chronic pelvic pain suggest that ~10-11.5 Hz alpha may index pain severity in women with endometriosis. However, the potential acupuncture-related modulation of alpha could not be determined due to the lack of a suitable control group. SIGNIFICANCE: Resting state EEG may be a viable tool to further characterise changes in chronic pain states in a clinical setting and provide objective quantification of responsivity to treatment. Further research with an appropriate control group is recommended to test this
Acupuncture · EEG-fMRI · Electroencephalography · Natural (archaeology) · Resting state fMRI · Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies · Endometriosis Research and Treatment · Menopause: Health Impacts and Treatments
| Highly cited | No |
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