Electroacupuncture for the Treatment of Agitated Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease

Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Alzheimer's Dementia; Agitation Associated With Alzheimer's Dementia

Treatments: Other: Electroacupuncture group; Other: Micro-acupuncture group

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06495957

2024-075-KY-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of electroacupuncture in the treatment of agitation symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Meanwhile the study aims to explore the brain central mechanism of electroacupuncture in the treatment of agitation symptoms in patients with AD by using resting state functional magnetic resonance technology.

Full description

This is a multicenter, parallel-group, patient-blinded and outcome-assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial consisting of two stages: a 8-week treatment period followed by a 8-week follow-up period. The study aims to assess therapeutic efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture for agitated symptoms of AD. Approximately 224 AD patients with symptoms of agitation will be randomly assigned to the electroacupuncture group or micro-electroacupuncture group. 50 patients in each of the two groups will be selected to complete rs-fMRI scans before the initial treatment and after the last treatment in order to investigate the central mechanism underlying the effects of electroacupuncture treatment on functional activity in patients with AD patients with symptoms of agitation.

Enrollment: 224 estimated patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Meet the revised draft diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease published by the Alzheimer's Association in 2023
2. Meet the 2023 IPA definition of agitated symptoms of cognitive impairment
3. Cohen Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI)≥45 points
4. Have been on stable anti-AD medication (cholinesterase inhibitors, etc.) for more than 1 month
5. If taking antipsychotics, the medication regimen for agitation (antipsychotics) is stable for 1 month prior to randomization
6. Subject and legal guardian and caregiver sign informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

1. There are contraindications for acupuncture treatment, such as the tendency of acupoint bleeding or allergy to metal
2. Received electroacupuncture treatment in the past 2 weeks
3. At the time of the screening, participants are participating in other clinical trials or planned to participate in other clinical trials in the next 17 weeks.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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224 participants in 2 patient groups

Electroacupuncture group

Experimental group

Description:

Needles will be inserted at 11 acupoints. Acupoints will be added electrical stimulation via a low-frequency neural regulator (electrical stimulator) respectively with a disperse-dense wave after insertion of all needles. Twenty-minute treatments will be delivered three times weekly for 8 weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Electroacupuncture group

Micro-acupuncture group

Other group

Description:

11 needles will be inserted at acupoints with 1-3 mm in depth. The acupoints will then be connected to the electrical stimulator in accordance with the electroacupuncture group. The frequency of the electroacupuncture is the same as that of the electroacupuncture group, which is briefly energized at the beginning for 30s.Twenty-minute treatments will be delivered three times weekly for 8 weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Micro-acupuncture group