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Brain Sciences
Special Issues
Application of Nerve Stimulation: Current Status and Future Directions—2nd Edition
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Application of Nerve Stimulation: Current Status and Future Directions—2nd Edition

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neurotechnology and Neuroimaging".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 1995

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Younbyoung Chae

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Acupuncture & Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
Interests: acupuncture; neuroimaging; neuromodulation; pain; placebo
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hee Young Kim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Interests: acupuncture; visceral organ; mechanical stimulation; mesolimbic dopamine system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Neuromodulation is often employed to adjust neuronal activity and affect brain function. Nonetheless, gaining a deeper understanding of the interaction between nerves and organs is essential for developing precise treatment approaches. Acupuncture has the ability to activate peripheral nervous systems, aligning with neuromodulation methods. Both acupuncture and neuromodulation share significant similarities in practice and in their underlying theories.

For this upcoming Special Issue of Brain Sciences, we encourage researchers and practitioners to contribute original research papers utilizing diverse techniques, including neuroimaging, neurobiology, clinical trials, and machine learning. We also welcome review articles that aim to build on current efforts to gain new insights into peripheral nerve stimulation, encompassing neuromodulation and acupuncture.

Prof. Dr. Younbyoung Chae
Dr. Hee Young Kim
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • acupuncture
  • neuroanatomy
  • neuroimaging
  • neuromodulation
  • peripheral nervous system

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1476 KB  
Article
Electroacupuncture Attenuates Fibromyalgia Pain Through Increased PD-1 Expression in Female Mice
by I-Han Hsiao, Wei-Hung Chen, Ming-Chia Lin, Hsin-Cheng Hsu, Hsien-Yin Liao and Yi-Wen Lin
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(9), 976; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15090976 - 11 Sep 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Fibromyalgia causes chronic long-term pain, with symptoms lasting for months to years. Given the lack of evidence-based methods for diagnosing and assessing fibromyalgia, it ranks among the most difficult chronic pain conditions to treat. Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) can inhibit [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Fibromyalgia causes chronic long-term pain, with symptoms lasting for months to years. Given the lack of evidence-based methods for diagnosing and assessing fibromyalgia, it ranks among the most difficult chronic pain conditions to treat. Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) can inhibit acute and chronic pain transmission by inhibiting neuronal ion channels. Methods: Here, we aimed to explore the analgesic efficacy and mechanism of PD-L1/PD1 in an intermittent cold stress-induced fibromyalgia pain mouse model. Results: Von Frey and Hargreaves tests were performed, showing that the mouse model exhibited mechanical (day 4: 2.08 ± 0.13 g, n = 9) and thermal hyperalgesia (day 4: 3.93 ± 0.45 s, n = 9). Electroacupuncture (EA) or intraventricular PD-L1 injection effectively alleviated the nociceptive response and led to low PD-1 levels in the mouse dorsal root ganglia, spinal cord, thalamus, somatosensory cortex, and cerebellum, as measured through Western blots. In contrast, the pain-related kinase levels increased after fibromyalgia induction; these effects were reversed by EA and PD-L1 via the inhibition of microglia/astrocytes and Toll-like receptor 4. Conclusions: Our results show that EA can treat fibromyalgia pain in mice through effects on the PD-L1/PD1 pathway, indicating its potential as a therapeutic target in fibromyalgia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Nerve Stimulation: Current Status and Future Directions—2nd Edition)
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18 pages, 2644 KB  
Article
The Synergistic Effect of Heat Therapy and Electroacupuncture Treatment in Inflammatory Pain Mouse Models
by Boon Khai Teoh, Sharmely Sharon Ballon Romero, Tran Van Bao Quach, Hsin-Yi Chung and Yi-Hung Chen
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(8), 822; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15080822 - 31 Jul 2025
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Abstract
Background: Heat therapy (HT) and electroacupuncture (EA) are widely utilized pain relief methods, but the analgesic mechanisms of their combined application remain unclear. Methods: In acetic acid (AA)-induced writhing test and complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammatory pain tests, mice received one of three [...] Read more.
Background: Heat therapy (HT) and electroacupuncture (EA) are widely utilized pain relief methods, but the analgesic mechanisms of their combined application remain unclear. Methods: In acetic acid (AA)-induced writhing test and complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammatory pain tests, mice received one of three treatments: EA at bilateral ST36, HT via a 45 °C heating pad, or the combination (EA + HT). To probe underlying pathways, separate groups were pretreated with caffeine, DPCPX (a selective adenosine A1 receptor antagonist), or naloxone (an opioid receptor antagonist). Spinal expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and phosphorylated p38 (p-p38) was examined by Western blot and immunofluorescence. Results: Both EA and HT individually reduced AA-induced writhing, with the combination (EA + HT) exhibiting the greatest analgesic effect. EA’s analgesic effect was reversed by caffeine and DPCPX and partially by naloxone, while HT’s effect was reversed by caffeine and DPCPX but was unaffected by naloxone. AA injection elevated spinal p-p38 and GFAP expression, which were attenuated by either EA or HT, with the most substantial suppression observed in the EA + HT group. In the CFA model, both treatments alleviated mechanical allodynia, while the combined treatment resulted in significantly greater analgesia compared to either treatment alone. Conclusions: EA combined with HT synergistically enhances analgesia in both AA and CFA pain models, accompanied by reduced spinal inflammation and astrocyte activation. EA’s analgesic effects appear to involve adenosine A1 receptor pathways and, to a lesser extent, opioid receptor mechanisms, whereas HT’s effects involve adenosine A1 receptor pathways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Nerve Stimulation: Current Status and Future Directions—2nd Edition)
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