---
title: Does 6-minute electro-acupuncture at one acupuncture point change brain activity in women with PMS?
description: Yes. Electro-acupuncture at the SP6 point changed how different parts of the brain connected to each other.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/regulated-aberrant-amygdala-functional-connectivity-in-premenstrual-syndrome-via-2021/
---

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- Does 6-minute electro-acupuncture at one acupuncture point change brain activity in women with PMS?

Study, 2021

# Does 6-minute electro-acupuncture at one acupuncture point change brain activity in women with PMS?

Yes. Electro-acupuncture at the SP6 point changed how different parts of the brain connected to each other.

 Early or limited evidence

23 women with PMS

## What they did

23 women with PMS received 6-minute electro-acupuncture stimulation at the Sanyinjiao acupoint (SP6). Brain scans using resting-state fMRI were done before and after the acupuncture.

## What they found

After the acupuncture, connections between the left amygdala and brainstem increased. Connections decreased between the left amygdala and left thalamus. The right amygdala showed increased connections with brainstem and other regions, and decreased connections with another brain region.

## What it means for you

Electro-acupuncture may work for PMS by changing how different parts of the brain communicate. The main limits are the small sample size, no control group, and no measurement of whether symptoms actually improved.

23

women with PMS

6

minutes of stimulation

2

brain scans per woman

## About the study

Original title Regulated aberrant amygdala functional connectivity in premenstrual syndrome via electro-acupuncture stimulation at sanyinjiao acupoint（SP6） Authors Pang Y, Liao H, Duan G et al. Journal Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology Year 2021 Study design Study What was tested 6-minute electro-acupuncture stimulation at SP6 point Read the paper [doi.org/10.1080/09513590.2020.1855633](https://doi.org/10.1080/09513590.2020.1855633)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Acupuncture and acupressure](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-acupuncture/)

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