Volume 2, Issue 4

Angelica sinensis (AS), commonly known as Danggui and hailed as a premier medicinal herb, holds a prominent place in traditional Chinese medicine due to its potent healing properties. It is widely used to boost blood and vital energy, promote blood flow, relieve blood stasis, regulate menstruation, and alleviate pain. With advances in medical technology, modern interest in Chinese medicine has surged, spurring more in-depth research into its pharmacological mechanisms. This review introduces the principal components of AS and its therapeutic ef f icacy, while also summarizing current research on fundamental mechanisms involving key inflammatory signal pathways, notably nuclear factor κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase. Z-Ligustilide, AS’s primary bioactive compound, exhibits a range of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, neuroprotective, anti-apoptotic, organ-protective, antioxidant, and analgesic properties. In addition to discuss the advancements in the treatment of acute lung injury (ALI), this review provides a detailed exploration of the main components of AS and its mechanisms for mitigating ALI induced by lipopolysaccharides, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis and inspiration for the development of drugs in Chinese medicine, with AS as a representative example. This manuscript offers a novel therapeutic method for clinical management of ALI, thereby presenting additional alter natives for pharmacological intervention.

Pain significantly impacts both the physical and mental well-being of individuals and imposes a substantial burden on society. Traditional pain management approaches are diverse but often fall short in adequately addressing patients’ emotional and psychological experiences. In recent years, digital therapy has emerged as a rapidly de veloping field with significant potential in perioperative pain management. This innovative approach leverages digital technology, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy, to alleviate pain and deliver more comprehensive, efficient, and personalized care. This study explores the applications and future directions of digital therapy in pain management, aiming to broaden understanding among healthcare professionals and patients, and to open new avenues for pain treatment. The text combs through the synergistic empowerment of digital therapeutics in the perioperative period, discussing its multifaceted advantages such as optimizing analgesic effects, reducing mental anxiety, and improving psychological conditions. It also analyzes current challenges including privacy protection, data security, and technological adaptation, providing a reference for future research and application directions in digital pain treatment during the perioperative period.

Postoperative delirium (POD) is an acute cognitive disorder marked by attention deficits, fluctuating symptoms, and significant cognitive impairment. These features are closely associated with adverse outcomes, including increased mortality, prolonged hospitalization, long-term cognitive deficits, and elevated healthcare costs. Brain functional connectivity studies focus on understanding complex neuronal interactions and interregional communi cation within the brain. This article explores the association between POD and brain functional connectivity. It be gins by summarizing the prominent features of POD as a common postoperative complication and its substantial impact on patient health, highlighting current limitations in understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms. The article then investigates the relationship between functional connectivity and cognitive function, emphasizing the role of advanced monitoring techniques, including Electroencephalography and Functional Magnetic Reso nance Imaging. The advantages and limitations of these technologies in studying brain connectivity are discussed. Additionally, the article focuses on the posterior cingulate cortex and Default Mode Network, examining their roles in the development of POD and their potential connections to its pathogenesis. Finally, the application of graph theory in connectivity analysis is introduced, offering new insights into POD’s pathogenesis. Based on current evidence, the article provides an outlook on future research directions and potential challenges. This study par ticularly emphasizes the impact of perioperative factors, such as anesthesia and postoperative inflammation, on brain functional connectivity. These changes may trigger POD by disrupting connectivity within the Default Mode Network and other key neural networks. By investigating the changes in brain functional connectivity patterns in patients undergoing different types of surgeries, this study further reveals the contribution of perioperative factors to the pathophysiological mechanisms of POD.