The Integrated Nervous System

Hendelman, Walter; Humphreys, Peter; Skinner, Christopher R.

doi:10.1201/9781315156767

Cited by 2 publications

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“…These impulses are conveyed to the thalamus and finally sent to the primary somatosensory center of CNS. Additionally, collateral connections carry these somatosensory impulses to other areas, such as the hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray (PAG), and brain stem [16] (Figure 2).…”

Section: Neural Pathway From Skin To Central Nervous System (Cns)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Beneficial Effects of Acupuncture for Depression-A Possible Mediation of Peripheral Sensory Stimulation and Central Oxytocin Release

Takahashi

2024

OBM Integr Complement Med

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In modern society, depression is one of the most common mental disorders. It is generally thought that depression is due to the disorders of neuronal circuits and chemical balance in the brain. Patients with depression often receive treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, recent studies suggest that the magnitude of benefit of pharmacological treatment is quite limited for these patients. Although recent studies propose acupuncture as a non-pharmacological approach to managing depression, the mechanism of its beneficial effects is not well understood. Somatosensory pathways stimulated by acupuncture relay to the central nervous system (CNS). In animal studies, acupuncture has demonstrated the potential to ameliorate neural abnormalities associated with depression. As complex daily life stress is highly associated with depression, the procedure that suppresses stress responses would be a good candidate to treat depression. Oxytocin (OXT) is a hormone produced at the hypothalamus and mediates social bonding and stress reduction. OXT inhibits stress-induced corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) expression at the hypothalamus, resulting in anti-stress and anti-anxiety effects. Research has demonstrated that acupuncture stimulates the release of hypothalamic OXT through somatosensory stimulation. Thus, stress-related mental disorders can be treated, at least in part, by acupuncture. It is proposed that somatosensory stimulations induced by acupuncture are a possible candidate as a non-pharmacological approach for depression.

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Section: Neural Pathway From Skin To Central Nervous System (Cns)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Beneficial Effects of Acupuncture for Depression-A Possible Mediation of Peripheral Sensory Stimulation and Central Oxytocin Release

Takahashi

2024

OBM Integr Complement Med

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“…These impulses are further sent to the thalamus and ultimately sent to the primary somatosensory cortex. In addition, these impulses are also sent to other brain areas, including the hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray (PAG), brain stem, etc., via collateral connections (Hendelman et al, 2010 ) ( Figure 2 ).…”

Section: Importance Of Hypothalamic Oxytocin In Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensory Stimulation of Oxytocin Release Is Associated With Stress Management and Maternal Care

Takahashi

2021

Front. Psychol.

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It has been shown that various types of stress initiate different physiological and neuroendocrine disorders. Oxytocin (OT) is mainly produced in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. Hypothalamic OT has antistress effects and attenuates the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. One mechanism behind the antistress effects of OT is mediated through the inhibition from GABAA receptors on corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) expression at the PVN. Various manual therapies such as acupuncture, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and massage initiate the stimulation of somatosensory neurons of the body. It is well-known that TENS simulates OT expression, while it inhibits CRF expression at the PVN following chronic stress loading in rodents. Upregulation of OT expression at the hypothalamus is activated by the somatosensory stimulation, which is mediated via the spinothalamic pathway (the connection between the spinal cord and hypothalamus). Thus, somatosensory stimulation is beneficial in treating stress-associated symptoms. Hypothalamic OT is associated with the social behaviors, including maternal care and affiliation. Childhood neglect and/or child abuse are severely responsible for deleterious long-term effects on the cognitive/social activity and behavioral development. At parturition, a profound amount of OT is released into the systemic circulation in response to vaginal and cervical stimulation caused by the body of fetus, which induces the onset of maternal behavior. Peridural anesthesia effectively impairs the sensitivity to vaginal and cervical stimulation at parturition. OT levels in cerebrospinal fluid is significantly reduced following peridural anesthesia. The vaginal delivery mothers had significantly more OT pulses than the caesarian section (CS) mothers. Due to low levels of endogenous OT, maternal behavior could be interrupted by epidural anesthesia and CS at parturition because of the reduction of the usual sensory input from the genitalia.

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The Integrated Nervous System

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Beneficial Effects of Acupuncture for Depression-A Possible Mediation of Peripheral Sensory Stimulation and Central Oxytocin Release

Beneficial Effects of Acupuncture for Depression-A Possible Mediation of Peripheral Sensory Stimulation and Central Oxytocin Release

Sensory Stimulation of Oxytocin Release Is Associated With Stress Management and Maternal Care

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