Comprehensive review on sexual dimorphism to improve scalp acupuncture in nervous system disease

CNS Neurosci Ther. 2024 Jan;30(1):e14447. doi: 10.1111/cns.14447. Epub 2023 Sep 4.

Abstract

Background: With the development of modern medicine, the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) combined with western medicine began to be produced and applied. Scalp acupuncture (SA) as a Chinese medicine based on neurological theory, has a great advantage compared with TCM in the treatment of nervous system diseases.

Method: In this paper, we analyze the physiological and pathological manifestations of sexual dimorphism (SD) to illustrate the necessity of SD treatment. In addition, we review the factors that can affect SD and analyze in physiological structure, function, and pathological neurons. Diseases (pathological basis, pathological manifestations, and incidence) and factors leading to gender differences, which to analyze the possibility of gender differences in SA.

Result: Furthermore, we creatively a new insight of SD-SA and provide the complete SD treatment cases on the basis of the existing SA in different kinds of diseases including stroke, migraine, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression.

Conclusion: In summary, we believe that it is feasible to improve the clinical effectiveness of SA, which is able to promote the development of SA, and then provides an actionable evidence for the promotion of precision medicine in the future.

Keywords: brain science; innovation; scalp acupuncture; sexual dimorphism; traditional Chinese medicine.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acupuncture Therapy*
  • Humans
  • Nervous System Diseases*
  • Scalp
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Sex Factors