Acupuncture Enhances Brain White Matter Integrity and Alleviates Postconcussion Symptoms in Mild TBI: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled MRI Study

Highlight

• Verum acupuncture significantly reduced postconcussion syndrome (PCS) symptoms compared to sham and waiting-list controls in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients.
• Improvements in fractional anisotropy (FA) of key white matter regions, especially the right posterior corona radiata, were observed on MRI following acupuncture therapy.
• These neuroimaging improvements correlated strongly with lasting clinical symptom improvement at 6-12 month follow-up.
• Acupuncture offers a minimally invasive, well-tolerated intervention with potential to enhance long-term neurological recovery after mTBI.

Study Background and Disease Burden