Evidence map of systematic reviews on acupuncture for neurological disorders

ABSTRACT Objectives To present an evidence map of acupuncture treatment for neurological disorders. Methods We conducted an evidence mapping review. Systematic reviews (SRs) on acupuncture for neurological disorders were searched in PubMed and the Cochrane Library up to July 29, 2025. Eligible reviews were analyzed for type of disease, intervention, control type, conclusion direction, and evidence certainty, with findings visualized in an evidence matrix. Results This evidence map synthesized 204 SRs covering 18 neurological conditions, with research mainly focused on stroke-related sequelae, headache disorders, and Parkinson’s disease. Of the 18 neurological conditions, eight consistently showed positive results (e.g., cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury), while only two:vascular dementia and multiple sclerosis, were entirely negative. The remaining eight had mixed findings depending on condition subtype, acupuncture type, and comparison design. Notably, “add-on” studies (acupuncture plus usual care) produced the most consistent positive outcomes.However, 110 (out of 158) conclusions lacked formal evidence assessment.High-quality evidence was limited, with moderate to high certainty support found for ischemic stroke, several post-stroke impairments, migraine, tension-type headache, peripheral neuropathic pain, facial paralysis, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and occipital neuralgia. Conclusions and Implications This evidence map shows a generally positive trend for acupuncture across 18 neurological conditions. However most other conditions have low or ungraded evidence, highlighting the need for high-quality trials and subgroup analyses by condition, acupuncture type, and control design.