Study of Electro-acupuncture Treatment for Adults with Disorder of Consciousness After Brain Injury

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating the use of electroacupuncture as a treatment for adults with prolonged disorders of consciousness DOC caused by severe brain injury, such as traumatic brain injury TBI. This trial aims to confirm whether electroacupuncture can help patients recover consciousness and to understand how it may affect brain function through advanced tests like EEG, neuroimaging, evoked potentials, and behavioral assessments. The study is a randomized, triple-masked trial that will enroll 50 adult patients with DOC and 25 healthy volunteers. Patients will be assigned to either receive real electroacupuncture or a sham version, both administered once daily at 9 am for 30 minutes over two weeks. Treatment involves acupuncture needles placed at specific points on the head with electrical stimulation in the real group, while the sham group receives a similar procedure without skin penetration or electrical current. Participants will undergo various assessments including consciousness scales, brain imaging, and brain-computer interface tests before and after the 14-day treatment period. Additional outcome measures will be recorded at 30 and 90 days to evaluate longer-term effects. Healthy subjects will not receive treatment but serve as controls for brain function tests. Researchers will monitor safety and treatment adherence throughout the study, which is expected to conclude by January 2026.

Electro-acupuncture to Treat Disorder of Consciousness