STUDY PROTOCOL article
Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Reproduction
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1598943
The altered hypothalamic network functional connectivity in Diminished ovarian reserve and regulation effect of acupuncture: a randomized controlled neuroimaging study protocol
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Acupuncture and Tuina, School of Medicine of the Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- 2Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) is characterized by a decrease in the quantity and quality of oocytes, leading to reduced chances of natural conception and a poorer response to fertility treatments. Along with these reproductive challenges, DOR often causes psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances, which negatively affect overall well-being and quality of life. Acupuncture has been proposed as a promising complementary therapy for DOR, but the mechanisms through which it exerts its effects are not yet fully understood. This study aims to investigate the effects of acupuncture on ovarian function, psychological well-being, and the central nervous system in women with DOR. We will recruit 42 women with DOR and 21 healthy controls (HCs), randomly assigning DOR patients to receive either verum acupuncture (VA) or sham acupuncture (SA) for 12 weeks. Ovarian function will be assessed using Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), antral follicle count (AFC), and folliclestimulating hormone (FSH). Psychological well-being will be evaluated using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Self-Rating Scale of Sleep (SRSS). To explore the neurological effects, resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the hypothalamus will be assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This research aims to clarify how acupuncture affects the central nervous system, hormonal regulation, and ovarian function in women with DOR. The
Keywords: DOR (diminished ovarian reserve), rs- fMRI, Hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, functional connectivity, Acupuncture
Received: 09 Apr 2025; Accepted: 15 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Gao, Yu, Wang and Fang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yigong Fang, Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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