Overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) has made increasing progress in mechanism and treatment research. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a common complementary therapy for OAB, and it has been found to be effective. However, the intervention mechanism of TCM in the treatment of OAB is still unclear. The aim of this review is to consolidate the current knowledge about the mechanism of TCM: acupuncture, moxibustion, herbs in treating OAB, and the animal models of OAB commonly used in TCM. Finally, we put forward the dilemma of TCM treatment of OAB and discussed the insufficiency and future direction of TCM treatment of OAB.

The application of voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) analysis to study the central mechanism of migraine has been limited. Furthermore, little is known about inter-hemispheric functional connectivity (FC) alterations during resting state in female patients with migraine. This study aimed to investigate potential interictal VMHC impairments in migraine without aura (MwoA) patients and the relationship between connectivity alterations and clinical parameters. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data and clinical information were acquired from 43 female MwoA patients and 43 matched healthy controls. VMHC analysis was used to compare differences between these two groups, and brain regions showing significant differences were chosen as a mask to perform a seed-based FC group comparison. Subsequent correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between abnormal inter-hemispheric FC and clinical data. Compared with healthy controls, female MwoA patients revealed significantly decreased VMHC in the bilateral cerebellum; cuneus; and lingual, middle occipital, precentral and postcentral gyri. Seed-based FC analysis indicated disrupted intrinsic connectivity in the cerebellum, and default mode, visual and sensorimotor network. These VMHC and FC abnormalities were negatively correlated with clinical indexes including duration of disease, migraine days and visual analogue scale. These inter-hemispheric FC impairments and correlations between abnormal VMHC and FC and clinical scores may improve our understanding of the central mechanism of female-specific migraine.

Purpose: Recently, research on the management of Parkinson’s disease (PD), particularly non-motor symptoms (NMS), has been increasingly reported. This systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture interventions for NMS in PD patients to identify the most effective strategy. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture for NMS in PD were retrieved up to July 31, 2024, across eight databases: PubMed, Embase (OVID), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, VIP Database, and Wanfang Database. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews. Results: 77 RCTs were included, involving 5538 PD patients. The NMA indicated that acupuncture_training_usual ([SUCRA] = 84.18%) was the best intervention for improving the anxiety state of PD patients. Abdominal_acupuncture_usual (94.15%) was a preferred intervention for improving the depressive state. Scalp_acupuncture_usual (99.98%) and Scalp_electroacupuncture (94.28%) can significantly improve the sleep quality of PD patients. Heat_sensitive_moxibustion_usual (94.65%) and Warm_acupuncture_moxibustion_usual (99.995%) can significantly improve the quality of life of PD patients. Acupuncture_usual (94.02%) may be considered a promising intervention for improving the psychological, emotional and cognitive functions. Additionally, shallow_acupuncture_usual (99.17%) was the safest option. Notably, acupuncture_moxibustion (98.24%) was the most effective intervention involving the largest number of participants. Conclusion: This analysis identifies the most effective acupuncture interventions for improving NMS in PD patients, including anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and overall quality of life, as well as additional benefits in pain management and gastrointestinal function. Future large-scale RCTs are needed to confirm these findings.