Electroacupuncture improves cognitive function and neuropsychiatric symptoms in breast cancer survivors: a pilot randomized controlled trial.
J Natl Cancer InstSep 1, 2026
Ding Quan Ng, Matthew Heshmatipour, Julia Trudeau et al.
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In 30 seconds
This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on cognitive function and neuropsychiatric symptoms in breast cancer survivors. Among 35 participants, those receiving neuropsychiatric-specific EA showed significant improvements in attention and distress, with responder rates of 42.9% for cognition compared to 12.5% in the sham group. The study suggests potential benefits of EA in this population.
Key findings
- Neuropsychiatric-specific EA improved attention with effect sizes of 0.562 and 0.708.
- Responders for objective cognition were 42.9% in the nEA group versus 12.5% in the sEA group.
- Participants receiving nEA showed increased gray matter volume compared to the sEA group (P = .033).
- Improvements in memory were linked to reduced connectivity in the default mode network (r = -0.93, P < .01).
Why it matters
The findings indicate that electroacupuncture may offer a non-pharmacological approach to alleviate cognitive impairment and distress in breast cancer survivors, which is crucial for improving their quality of life.