An interventional study of Regular acupuncture and the Nourishing the vital energyand Regulating the spirit needle technique in Tic Disorders, sponsored by The Third Affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University. Completed at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 5 Years to 18 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-08-05.
Sponsored by The Third Affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This study was conducted to observe the efficacy of Nourishing the vital energy and Regulating the spirit needle technique in the treatment of chronic tic disorder through the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) and the Chinese Medicine Symptom Rating Scale in order to provide a new, safe and feasible treatment option and idea for the treatment of chronic Tic Disorder.
In this study, 76 children who met the diagnostic criteria for chronic tic disorder were collected and randomly divided into the therapy group(n-38)and control group(n=38) according to a random number table. The patients were treated 3 times a week for 7 weeks, a total of 20 times. YGTSS scores and the Chinese Medicine Symptom Rating Scale were performed before and after 2 courses of treatment, and clinical efficacy and adverse events were observed in both groups, and YGTSS scores were recorded at follow-up 4 week safter the end of treatment and 12 weeks after the end of treatment, respectively. All data were statistically processed and analysed using SPSS 25.0 software, and relevant differences were compared after processing and analysis.
102 studies on the registry are indexed under Tic Disorders; 26 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 76 is above the median of 50 across 83 interventional studies indexed under Tic Disorders.
Browse Tic Disorders studies →The Third Affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University is the lead sponsor of 45 studies on the registry; 25 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
DSM diagnostic criteria
The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Procedure: the Nourishing the vital energyand Regulating the spirit needle technique
Procedure: Regular acupuncture
Primary acupoints: Baihui (GV20), Hegu (LI4, bilateral), Fengchi (GB20, bilateral), Taichong (LV3, bilateral), Jinsuo (GV8), and Ganshu (BL18, bilateral). Operational procedures: Preoperative preparation identical to the treatment group; for Baihui (GV20), perform subcutaneous insertion backward (0.5 cun); for Fengchi (GB20), apply oblique insertion toward the nasal tip (0.8 cun); for Hegu (LI4) and Taichong (LV3), use perpendicular insertion (0.5 cun); for back-shu points (Ganshu BL18), rapid needling is applied due to low safety and inconvenience of retaining needles. Needle manipulation for qi activation, cycle, and frequency align with the treatment group. Treatment protocol: 3 sessions per week, 10 sessions constituting one course, totaling 20 sessions.
Primary points: Zhongwan (RN12), Xiawan (RN10), Qihai (RN6), Guanyuan (RN4), Taixi (KI3/bilat.), Baihui (GV20), Sishencong (EX-HN1), Shenting (GV24), Benshen (GB13/bilat.). Supplemental points: Blinking: Zanzhu (BL2) + Taiyang (EX-HN5/affected); Mouth twitch: Dicang (ST4) + Jiache (ST6/affected); Neck twitch: Fengchi (GB20) + Shangqu (KI17/affected); Limb twitch: UL-Waiguan (SJ5) + Quchi (LI11/affected), LL-Futu (ST32) + Yanglingquan (GB34/affected); Vocal tics: Tongue Three Needles (HN23). Post-disinfection: Calm child pre-needling. Sequence: Scalp → abdomen → limbs. Techniques: Scalp points-subcutaneous backward 0.5in; Taixi (KI3)-perpendicular 0.5in, mild lift-thrust/twirl to deqi; Abdomen-abdominal acupuncture (linea alba ref.), adipose/fascial layer insertion (no muscle/deqi), 30min retention no manipulation; Rapid withdrawal with pressure. Protocol: 3 sessions/week, 10-session course, 20 sessions total.
The Yale Global Tic Severity Scale
The Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) Score is designed to assess the severity of symptoms in children with Tourette's Syndrome by scoring the type of tics, frequency of tics, intensity of tics, complexity of tics, degree of interference with normal behavior, and degree of impairment of social functioning in the child, with a total score ranging from 0-75, with higher scores indicating greater severity of the child's condition.
Time frame: at baseline (pre-treatment), after 8-week treatment, after 4-week follow-up
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
The Third Affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University