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Efficacy and Olfactory Network of Electro-acupuncture for Subjective Cognitive Decline

Efficacy and Olfactory Network of Electro-acupuncture for Subjective Cognitive Decline: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial and fMRI Study

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06758154
Enrollment
92
Registered
2025-01-03
Start date
2024-12-28
Completion date
2028-06-30
Last updated
2026-08-27

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD)

Brief summary

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is the early diagnosis and treatment window period of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and the identification of SCD individuals who will progress to AD (pSCD) is a research hotspot. Based on olfactory fMRI,previous studies have found that SCD individuals showed damaged entorhinal neural circuits. After follow-up, the incidence of pSCD increased by three times. But,the spatiotemporal characteristics of the entorhinal neural circuits and whether it has the value of individualized prediction and intervention target need to be further studied. Thus, based on multi-center ambispective cohort study at home and abroad, we will (1) build a new paradigm of synchronous fMRI-EEG olfactory task state Oddball experiment, jointly representational similarity analysis, extract spatiotemporal characteristics of neural circuits damage, and discover and verify that the entorhinal neural circuits are vulnerable brain regions; (2) establish the middle fusion model of vulnerable brain region combined with the methods of olfactory task-fMRI activation image generation, functional connectome gradient,etc.; Then, establish late fusion multi-omics multi-task model combined with the new methods of molecularomics such as ultra-deep total proteomics and metabonomics proposed by the research group to accurately identify pSCD; (3) carry out the precise intervention of image-guided "olfactory three-needle" acupuncture with the entorhinal neural circuits as the target. Through clinical RCT research and mouse model, the remodeling mechanism of vulnerable brain regions will be clarified.This project will provide the basis for early diagnosis and treatment of the AD risk population.

Interventions

Firstly, EA treatment will be administered at the Neiguan (PC6, bilateral), Shenting(GV23), Yingxiang(LI20, bilateral), Yintang(GV29) acupoints. Disposable stainless-steel needles (0.25 mm × 25 mm; Huatuo brand, Suzhou Medical Supplies Factory Co., LTD., Suzhou City, China) will be used. After skin disinfection, the acupuncturists will twist and thrust the needle handles to achieve the sensations of achiness, heaviness, and numbness (known as de qi) at all above-mentioned acupoints. Following needle manipulations, EA instruments (SDZ-V, Hwato brand, Suzhou Medical Supplies Factory Co., Ltd., Suzhou City, China) will be used to attach the needle handles at PC6, GV23, LI20, GV29, with a dilatational wave of 5 Hz and a current intensity of 2 \~ 4 mA depending on the patient's tolerance. The needles will be removed after 30 min. Participants will receive 24 sessions over 8 weeks at a frequency of 3 times per week.

DEVICEsham acupuncture

Firstly, EA treatment will be administered at the non-acupoints near above-mentioned real acupoints. Disposable stainless-steel needles (0.25 mm × 25 mm; Huatuo brand, Suzhou Medical Supplies Factory Co., LTD., Suzhou City, China) will be used. After skin disinfection, the acupuncturists will take the needle into the acupoints without the sensations of de qi. Following needle manipulations, EA instruments (SDZ-V, Hwato brand, Suzhou Medical Supplies Factory Co., Ltd., Suzhou City, China) will be used to attach the needle handles at non-acupoints without the current. The needles will be removed after 30 min. Participants will receive 24 sessions over 8 weeks at a frequency of 3 times per week.

Sponsors

The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
55 Years to 79 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Meet the diagnostic criteria for SCD diseases; 2. 55-79 years old; 3. ≥8 years of schooling; 4. Right-handed; 5. Sign the informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

1. Have received other antidepressant therapy or involved in other clinical trials in the previous 2weeks. 2. Infarct located in the left DLPFC. 3. Positive psychiatric history and major trauma exposure history, such as depression, epilepsy, etc., in the past. 4. Other serious concomitant diseases (aphasia, severe edema, venous thrombosis, arteriosclerosis occlusion, diabetic vascular disease, peripheral neuropathy, spinal lesions, brain trauma, intracranial infection, brain tumors, etc.) or secondary diseases (heart, liver, renal failure, etc.). 5. Infection around acupoints and/or intolerance to acupuncture manipulation. 6. MRI or rTMS contraindications (claustrophobia, metal implants, cochlear implants, impulsator, etc.).

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Comprehensive Z scoreBefore and 8 weeks after treatmentThe neuropsychological scale of 8 objective cognitive assessments used in the study (including AVLT (S and L), AFT, BNT, TMT (A and B), SCWT-C, DSST, DST, CDT) was converted into Z scores for description. Specific operations: Standardize the score of a single cognitive domain scale, create the corresponding Z-score data set, calculate the average value of each data in the group to generate a single Z-score, and sum the Z-score of each single cognitive domain to generate the overall Z-score. Patients were evaluated before treatment and 8 weeks later.
Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging of olfactory related neural circuitsBefore and 8 weeks after treatmentStructural MRI(3DTIWI/3DT2WI/3Dflair), functional MRI(BOLD\\NODDI\\ASL\\ QSM)

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
mini-mental state examination, MMSEBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
Montreal Cognitive Assessment,MoCABefore and 8 weeks after treatment
Subjective cognitive self-scoringBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
Hamilton Depression Scale,HAMDBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
the Geriatric Depression Scale,GDSBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
Hamilton Anxiety Scale,HAMABefore and 8 weeks after treatment
auditory verbal learning test,AVLTBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
Rey complex figure test,CFTBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
Boston naming test,BNTBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
Animal fluency test,AFTBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
rail making test-A,TMT-ABefore and 8 weeks after treatment
rail making test-B,TMT-BBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
complex figure test, CFTBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
clock drawing test,CDTBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
Symbol Digit Modalities Test,SDMTBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
odor threshold test,OTTBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
The olfactory behavioral testBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
Spatial navigation behavior testBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
Pittsburgh sleep quality index,PSQIBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
TCM physique classification scaleBefore and 8 weeks after treatment
TCM syndrome type scale of mild cognitive impairmentBefore and 8 weeks after treatment

Countries

China

Contacts

CONTACTBing Zhang
zhangbing_nanjing@nju.edu.cn15851803070

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Aug 28, 2026