Acupuncture Therapy Based on Biological Specificity of Acupoints for Major Depressive Disorder

NCT ID: NCT05353543

Last Updated: 2022-04-29

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

120 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-05-01

Study Completion Date

2025-12-30

Brief Summary

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Acupoints are the stimulus points and reactive points for acupuncture to treat the diseases. Therefore, this study is designed to detect the biological specificity of acupoints in healthy participants and major depressive disorder (MDD) participants by using multiple objective assessment tools. And then acupoints that are statistically different between the two groups will be defined as strong reaction points, and other acupoints without statistically different will be defined as weak response points. In addition, this clinical trial will be conducted to explore whether the efficacy of stimulating strong reaction acupoints is more effective than weak reaction points, thereby confirming the specificity of the acupoint.

Detailed Description

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Part 1: This study will include 40 patients with MDD and 40 healthy control participants. Infrared thermography (IRT), laser doppler flowmetry (LDF), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (FNIS), and digital pressure pain gauge (PPG), respectively, will be adopted to assess 4 kinds of biological specificity of MDD related acupoints, namely, the thermal transport specificity, the microcirculatory specificity, the metabolic specificity, and the pain sensitivity specificity. Based on the results of this study, we will select acupoints with statistical differences between the two groups as the strong reaction acupoints and the remaining acupoints as the weak reaction acupoints.

Part 2: A total of 120 participants with MDD who meet the inclusion criteria will be included in the study. All participants will receive basic treatment of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) antidepressants. They will be randomly divided into the acupuncture (strong reaction acupoints) group, acupuncture (weak reaction acupoints) group, and sham acupuncture group. We will evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of acupuncture for MDD, furthermore, to demonstrate whether stimulating strong reaction acupoints has more advantages in the treatment of MDD than weak reaction acupoints.

Conditions

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Major Depressive Disorder

Keywords

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acupuncture biological specificity major depressive disorder

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Acupuncture (strong reaction acupoints) group

This group will include 40 patients with MDD who will be treated with acupuncture and SSRIs antidepressants. Strong reaction acupoints selected in the first part of the study will be stimulated. The oral dose of SSRIs antidepressants will be determined by the clinical specialist.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

SSRIs

Intervention Type DRUG

In this study, SSRIs antidepressants will be used, and the oral dose will be determined by the clinical specialist. Once-daily for 6 weeks.

acupuncture (strong reaction acupoints)

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

This study will use the intradermal needle as an acupuncture intervention. Strong reaction acupoints selected in the first part of the study will be stimulated. According to the position of the acupoints, choose a needle of φ0.20\*1.5m or φ0.20\*1.2mm. Press the needle to insert the acupoint vertically and retain it in the skin. After the intervention, the needle will be retained for 72 hours with a day of rest after removal. During needle retention, participants will be instructed to press the acupoints 3-4 times a day for about 1 minute each time, with the amount of stimulation as much as the patient can tolerate, at an interval of about 4 hours. A total of 10 treatment sessions will be performed for 6 weeks.

Acupuncture (weak reaction acupoints) group

This group will include 40 patients with MDD who will be treated with acupuncture and SSRIs antidepressants. Weak reaction acupoints selected in the first part of the study will be stimulated. The oral dose of SSRIs antidepressants will be determined by the clinical specialist.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

SSRIs

Intervention Type DRUG

In this study, SSRIs antidepressants will be used, and the oral dose will be determined by the clinical specialist. Once-daily for 6 weeks.

acupuncture (weak reaction acupoints)

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

This study will use the intradermal needle as an acupuncture intervention. Weak reaction acupoints selected in the first part of the study will be stimulated. According to the position of the acupoints, choose a needle of φ0.20\*1.5m or φ0.20\*1.2mm. Press the needle to insert the acupoint vertically and retain it in the skin. After the intervention, the needle will be retained for 72 hours with a day of rest after removal. During needle retention, participants will be instructed to press the acupoints 3-4 times a day for about 1 minute each time, with the amount of stimulation as much as the patient can tolerate, at an interval of about 4 hours. A total of 10 treatment sessions will be performed for 6 weeks.

Sham acupuncture group

This group will include 40 patients with MDD who will be treated with sham acupuncture and SSRIs antidepressants. The sham acupuncture will be needled on the points 1cm lateral to strong reaction acupoints. The oral dose of SSRIs antidepressants will be determined by the clinical specialist.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

SSRIs

Intervention Type DRUG

In this study, SSRIs antidepressants will be used, and the oral dose will be determined by the clinical specialist. Once-daily for 6 weeks.

sham acupuncture

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Sham acupuncture will use the same size, color, and material as the verum intradermal needle with a thin silicone pad in the middle instead of the needle body. The sham acupuncture will be needled on the points 1cm lateral to strong reaction acupoints. After the intervention, the needle will be retained for 72 hours with a day of rest after removal. A total of 10 sessions will be performed for 6 weeks.

Interventions

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SSRIs

In this study, SSRIs antidepressants will be used, and the oral dose will be determined by the clinical specialist. Once-daily for 6 weeks.

Intervention Type DRUG

acupuncture (strong reaction acupoints)

This study will use the intradermal needle as an acupuncture intervention. Strong reaction acupoints selected in the first part of the study will be stimulated. According to the position of the acupoints, choose a needle of φ0.20\*1.5m or φ0.20\*1.2mm. Press the needle to insert the acupoint vertically and retain it in the skin. After the intervention, the needle will be retained for 72 hours with a day of rest after removal. During needle retention, participants will be instructed to press the acupoints 3-4 times a day for about 1 minute each time, with the amount of stimulation as much as the patient can tolerate, at an interval of about 4 hours. A total of 10 treatment sessions will be performed for 6 weeks.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

acupuncture (weak reaction acupoints)

This study will use the intradermal needle as an acupuncture intervention. Weak reaction acupoints selected in the first part of the study will be stimulated. According to the position of the acupoints, choose a needle of φ0.20\*1.5m or φ0.20\*1.2mm. Press the needle to insert the acupoint vertically and retain it in the skin. After the intervention, the needle will be retained for 72 hours with a day of rest after removal. During needle retention, participants will be instructed to press the acupoints 3-4 times a day for about 1 minute each time, with the amount of stimulation as much as the patient can tolerate, at an interval of about 4 hours. A total of 10 treatment sessions will be performed for 6 weeks.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

sham acupuncture

Sham acupuncture will use the same size, color, and material as the verum intradermal needle with a thin silicone pad in the middle instead of the needle body. The sham acupuncture will be needled on the points 1cm lateral to strong reaction acupoints. After the intervention, the needle will be retained for 72 hours with a day of rest after removal. A total of 10 sessions will be performed for 6 weeks.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Other Intervention Names

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SSRIs antidepressants intradermal needle intradermal needle sham intradermal needle

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Healthy volunteers who could provide a recent depression screening report, and confirm they have not any cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, hematological, endocrine, or neurological disease;
* 12 ≤ age ≤60 years, male or female;
* Participants have clear consciousness and could communicate with others normally;
* Participants could understand the full study protocol and have high adherence. Written informed consent is signed by themselves or their lineal kin (for minor participants, their guardian should sign the informed consent form for them).

* Patients should meet the diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Diseases 10th Edition (ICD-10) diagnostic criteria for depression and are evaluated as moderate or severe MDD according to the severity of depression;
* 12 ≤ age ≤60, male or female;
* Participants have clear consciousness and could communicate with others normally;
* Participants could understand the full study protocol and have high adherence. Written informed consent is signed by themselves or their lineal kin (for minor participants, their guardian should sign the informed consent form for them).

Exclusion Criteria

* Participants with serious primary diseases of cardiovascular diseases, liver diseases, kidney diseases, urinary diseases, and hematological diseases;
* Participants have a mental illness, alcohol dependence, or a history of drug abuse;
* Pregnant or lactating participants;
* Participants are participating in other trials.

* Participants with serious primary diseases of cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, hematological, endocrine, neurological disease, and other serious primary diseases, and the disease cannot be effectively controlled clinically;
* Major depressive disorders caused by organic mental disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychoactive substances, and non-addictive substances;
* Participants with suicidal tendencies;
* Pregnant or lactating participants;
* Participants taking other antidepressants that were not SSRIs or the pharmacological effects of such antidepressants have not been cleared;
* Participants with intellectual disabilities who cannot cooperate with the questionnaire survey;
* Participants with bleeding tendency, skin disease, allergic constitution, and allergic to adhesive tape;
* The skin at the test site of participants has scars, hyperpigmentation, red and swollen;
* Participants are participating in other trials.
Minimum Eligible Age

12 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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The Zhejiang Provincial Tongde Hospital

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

The Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

The Third Affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Xiaomei Shao

Prof

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Xiaomei Shao, Ph.D

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The Third Affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University

Locations

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the Third affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical university

Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

Site Status

Countries

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China

Central Contacts

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Xiaomei Shao, Ph.D

Role: CONTACT

Phone: +8618957130287

Email: [email protected]

Mingqi Tu

Role: CONTACT

Phone: +8615700067213

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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Xiaomei Shao

Role: primary

Mingqi Tu

Role: backup

Other Identifiers

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2022ZX010-ABS

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id