Clinical Evaluation of Acupuncture Treatment on Alzheimer's Disease in APOE e4 Carriers and Non-Carriers

Launched by ZHANYJ · May 12, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is investigating whether acupuncture can help treat mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease, particularly looking at how it affects people who carry a specific gene (APOE e4) compared to those who do not. The researchers want to find out if acupuncture can improve memory and daily living skills, and they will compare the results to a control group that receives sham acupuncture (a placebo treatment that mimics acupuncture but doesn’t involve the actual procedure). The study will also check the safety of acupuncture and measure changes in brain activity and other health indicators.

To participate, individuals need to be between 50 and 85 years old and have a confirmed diagnosis of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Those interested will receive acupuncture or sham acupuncture three times a week for 12 weeks, followed by check-ups at 12, 38, and 64 weeks after starting the treatment. It’s important to note that certain health conditions may exclude someone from participating, such as other types of dementia or serious medical issues. If you meet the criteria and are interested, this trial could offer valuable insights into how acupuncture may help improve quality of life for people living with Alzheimer's disease.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Aged between 50-85 years
• • Diagnosed by the criteria of Neurological Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS-ADRDA)
• • Cognitive impairment based on the scores of the Chinese version of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) (patients with mild to moderate Alzheimers disease, 11≤primary school degree≤22, 11≤junior high school degree or above≤26
• • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmation of atrophy of the hippocampus or the medial temporal lobe volume, MRI manifestation of high possibility of Alzheimer Disease
• • The Medial Temporal Lobe Atrophy Rating Scale (MTA-scale) score (≥2 for those under 75 years, and ≥3 for those over 75 years)
• • Voluntarily joining this study with informed consents
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Cognitive impairment caused by other factors (e.g. vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, hormone or metabolic abnormalities, hypothyroidism, folic acid or vitamin B12 deficiency, delirium or other mental and emotional disorders (such as schizophrenia and depression))
• • A serious heart condition, hepatic disease, renal system disease, hematopoietic system disease, or whole-body malnutrition
• • Aphasia, disturbance of consciousness, or failure to cooperate with the related examinations due to physical disability
• • Contraindications to undergoing an MRI scan such as claustrophobia or pacemaker implantation.
• • Anticoagulant treatments such as warfarin or heparin
• • Use of pacemakers or receiving acupuncture in the past 2 weeks