UC Irvine Researchers Explore Acupuncture’s Potential in Treating Alzheimer’s Disease

Can the prick of a needle help heal a diseased brain? It’s possible, according to UC Irvine researchers. In a new study published in Translational Psychiatry, a multidisciplinary research team presents a comprehensive meta-analysis and systematic review of preclinical studies, revealing acupuncture’s potential in treating Alzheimer’s disease.

The study, “Evaluating the Potential of Acupuncture for Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review of Mouse Model Studies,” was conducted by Mohan Yang, Liqi Tong, Zhiling Guo, Zhiqun Tan, Todd C. Holmes, Zhaoxia Yu, and Xiangmin Xu, bringing together expertise in neuroscience, physiology, statistics and integrative health. The researchers systematically analyzed findings from numerous studies using mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease to assess the consistency and magnitude of acupuncture’s effects.

Analyzing Acupuncture’s Impact on Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s disease — a leading cause of dementia with limited treatment options and no cure — imposes a substantial burden on patients and their families. Currently, more than 7 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s, and that number is projected to grow to nearly 13 million by 2050.

“Alzheimer’s disease remains a major unmet medical challenge, and there is strong interest in identifying safe and non-drug-based therapies,” says Xiangmin Xu, PhD, Chancellor’s Professor of anatomy and neurobiology in the UC Irvine School of Medicine and director of the Center for Neural Circuit Mapping. “Our findings provide a comprehensive and quantitative evaluation of existing preclinical evidence, showing that acupuncture may influence multiple aspects of disease pathology.”

“We found that acupuncture may improve cognitive performance and reduce key pathological features associated with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Liqi Tong, PhD, associate project scientist in the Xu Lab. “Overall, the evidence suggests that acupuncture has measurable biological effects that could be beneficial in Alzheimer’s disease.”

Zhaoxia Yu, PhD, a professor in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS), and Mohan Yan, an outstanding undergraduate researcher in the Xu Lab, played a key role in the study’s analytical and integrative framework, contributing to the rigorous evaluation of data and interpretation of therapeutic relevance.

Next Steps

The next steps include validating the findings in well-controlled experimental studies, identifying the biological mechanisms underlying acupuncture’s effects, and eventually leading clinical trials in human patients to evaluate safety and effectiveness.

“This work bridges basic research and potential clinical application by synthesizing results from animal studies and identifying consistent therapeutic targets,” says Xu. “It helps move the field from individual experimental findings toward evidence-based strategies that can be tested in humans.”

By identifying how acupuncture may affect specific biological pathways involved in Alzheimer’s disease, this research supports the development of targeted, individualized therapeutic approaches. It also contributes to understanding which patients or disease stages might benefit most from such interventions.

This work was supported in part by a Samueli Scholar Award (to Xiangmin Xu) from the UC Irvine Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute.