An interventional study of Electrostimulation at the Twelve Hand Jing-Well Points in Disorder of Consciousness, sponsored by The Third People's Hospital of Huizhou. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 72 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-02.
Sponsored by The Third People's Hospital of Huizhou · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Disorder of consciousness (DOC) is a common complication of severe central nervous system injury. It is defined as prolonged DOC when lasting more than 28 days. About 300,000-800,000 patients are affected worldwide, with an annual mortality rate of 29%-50%, causing a heavy social and family burden.
Although progress has been made in pathophysiology, clinical outcomes remain unsatisfactory, and arousal treatment for DOC is still challenging. Internationally recommended therapies, such as neurotrophic drugs, hyperbaric oxygen and invasive neuromodulation, have side effects or uncertain efficacy.
In traditional Chinese medicine, post-TBI DOC is classified as "shen hun" (mental clouding). Bloodletting at Jing-Well points promotes arousal by regulating qi and blood and unblocking collaterals. Preliminary studies showed it may improve consciousness in DOC patients, but with small samples and short observation periods.
Acupuncture, such as the Xingnao Kaiqiao method, induces arousal by improving cerebral blood flow and activating neural networks. Our team proposed the "Jing-Well point-brain correlation" hypothesis and found that electrostimulation at Jing-Well points improves cognitive function, but lacks standardized assessment and large-sample evidence.
Further research is needed to confirm its efficacy, mechanisms and suitable populations to provide high-quality evidence-based support.
236 studies on the registry are indexed under Consciousness Disorders; 102 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 66 is above the median of 40 across 147 interventional studies indexed under Consciousness Disorders.
Browse Consciousness Disorders studies →The Third People's Hospital of Huizhou is the lead sponsor of 3 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.
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Based on routine treatment (the same as the control group), patients received additional electrostimulation at Jing-Well points. A Huatuo electroacupuncture apparatus (model: SDZ-V) was used. Stimulation was applied to bilateral Jing-Well points, with intensity adjusted to produce slight limb movement. Each session lasted 60 minutes, once daily, 6 times per week, for 3 consecutive weeks. Electro-press needles were replaced every two days to prevent infection.
Other: Electrostimulation at the Twelve Hand Jing-Well Points
All patients received routine treatment, including neurotrophic therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, conventional medication, and other general rehabilitation interventions, as well as management of complications: prevention of gastric mucosal lesions, blood glucose control, and prophylaxis against aspiration pneumonia, deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremities, pressure ulcers, etc.Electrostimulation treatment was administered to patients at the end of the follow-up period.
Other: Electrostimulation at the Twelve Hand Jing-Well Points
A Huatuo electroacupuncture apparatus (model: SDZ-V) was used. Stimulation was applied to bilateral Jing-Well points, with intensity adjusted to produce slight limb movement. Each session lasted 60 minutes, once daily, 6 times per week, for 3 consecutive weeks. Electro-press needles were replaced every two days to prevent infection.
coma recovery scale-revised
The CRS-R scale consists of six subscales: auditory function, visual function, motor function, oromotor function, communication, and arousal level.It has a total score range of 0-23 points; a higher score indicates a less severe disorder of consciousness.
Time frame: "Baseline (Day 0, pre-first treatment)";"Day 10 post-enrollment (post 9th treatment)";"Day 20 post-enrollment (post all 18 treatments, end of 3-week treatment)"
Full Outline of UnResponsiveness
The FOUR Score was developed as a supplement and refinement to the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and is particularly suitable for assessing patients with severely impaired consciousness or those receiving sedation or intubation in intensive care settings. It consists of four assessment dimensions, evaluating neurological functions including eye response, motor response, brainstem reflexes, and respiratory pattern. Each dimension is scored up to 4 points, with a total score ranging from 0 to 16; lower scores indicate worse neurological status.
Time frame: "Baseline (Day 0, pre-first treatment)";"Day 10 post-enrollment (post 9th treatment)";"Day 20 post-enrollment (post all 18 treatments, end of 3-week treatment)"
Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended
GOSE scores were categorized into favorable outcome (GOSE score 4-8) and unfavorable outcome (GOSE score 1-3). Participants (or their informants) were asked to report dysfunction in six major life domains: independence at home, independence outside the home, work functioning, social/leisure functioning, relationship problems, and other problems affecting daily life.
Time frame: "Baseline"、"1 month after treatment completion"
Disability Rating Scale
The Disability Rating Scale (DRS) has a broader focus. It is designed to measure the severity of disability following brain injury and its changes over time, covering the entire continuum from coma to community reintegration. It consists of four assessment stages, which evaluate arousal, consciousness and responsiveness, cognitive abilities, functional dependence, and psychosocial adaptation in a staged manner. The total score ranges from 0 (no disability) to 29 (vegetative state) or 30 (death).
Time frame: "Baseline";"1 month after treatment completion"
Mismatch Negativity
MMN (mismatch negativity) is an auditory evoked potential that reflects the brain's ability to automatically analyze and process sensory information, namely the pre-attentive processing. It can be used to assess the integrity of the brain's sensory processing system and help determine the conscious state and prognosis of patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC). Changes in its amplitude and latency are correlated with the likelihood of consciousness recovery, and patients with higher amplitude and shorter latency have a relatively greater chance of regaining consciousness.
Time frame: "Baseline (Day 0, pre-first treatment)";"Day 10 post-enrollment (post 9th treatment)";"Day 20 post-enrollment (post all 18 treatments, end of 3-week treatment)"
P300
P300, like MMN, is also an event-related potential that does not require active movement from the patient, but reflects a higher-order attention-cognitive processing mechanism. Whereas MMN is responsible for pre-attentive automatic detection of deviant stimuli, P300 represents the engagement of conscious attentional resources and the updating of working memory. Therefore, in the assessment of patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (pDoC), P300 provides information at the consciousness-related level rather than the pre-attentive level, and can be used to determine whether patients retain top-down cognitive processing abilities.
Time frame: "Baseline (Day 0, pre-first treatment)";"Day 10 post-enrollment (post 9th treatment)";"Day 20 post-enrollment (post all 18 treatments, end of 3-week treatment)"
Neuron-Specific Enolase
NSE is a marker enzyme of neurons. Following craniocerebral injury, changes in serum levels of this biomarker can reflect damage and recovery of nerve cells. Monitoring protein levels of NSE may provide clues to the biological mechanisms underlying consciousness recovery.
Time frame: "Baseline (Day 0, pre-first treatment)";"Day 20 post-enrollment (post all 18 treatments, end of 3-week treatment)"
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The Third People's Hospital of Huizhou