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Electroacupuncture for older adults with mild cognitive impairment: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Leung AW, Lam LC, Kwan AK, Tsang CL, Zhang HW, Guo YQ, Xu CS.. Trials, 2015-05-27
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Mild cognitive impairment is an intermediary state between normal aging and clinical Alzheimer's disease. Early intervention of mild cognitive impairment may be an important strategy in the management of Alzheimer's disease. The proposal aims to evaluate if electroacupuncture would optimize cognitive function in subjects with mild cognitive impairment and understand the role of electroacupuncture in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Methods/design A randomised patient- and assessor-blind sham-controlled trial is designed to assess whether electroacupuncture intervention decreases the rate of cognitive decline amongst older adults with mild cognitive impairment. One hundred and fifty subjects aged 65 years of age or over with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment are recruited from the community and elderly centre in Hong Kong. All subjects are randomly allocated into two groups (75 subjects each group): the electroacupuncture group and sham control. Participants in the electroacupuncture group receive electroacupuncture stimulation by sterile, disposable acupuncture needles inserted to the acupoints with a depth of 1 to 3 cm. The acupuncture needles are subjected to 2 Hz electroacupuncture with an intensity of 5 to 10 mA. Each participant receives electroacupuncture for 8 weeks (once a day, 3 days a week) and the treatment lasts for 30 minutes each time. For sham electroacupuncture, needles are inserted to a depth of 1 to 2 mm, and connected to the electroacupuncture device without any current passing through. Outcome measures (including primary and secondary outcome measures) are collected at baseline, at the end day of intervention, and months 4 and 6 after intervention. The primary outcome is measured by the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale. Secondary outcomes are measured by the mini-mental state examination, category fluency text and the Short Form 12. Discussion The study will provide evidence for evaluating and understanding the role of electroacupuncture in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Trial registration This trial is registered with chictr.org (registration number: ChiCTR-TRC-12002414 . Registration date: 11 August 2012.
Key findings
- Outcome measures (including primary and secondary outcome measures) are collected at baseline, at the end day of intervention, and months 4 and 6 after intervention.
- The primary outcome is measured by the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale.
- Secondary outcomes are measured by the mini-mental state examination, category fluency text and the Short Form 12.
- Discussion The study will provide evidence for evaluating and understanding the role of electroacupuncture in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
- Trial registration This trial is registered with chictr.org (registration number: ChiCTR-TRC-12002414 .
Why it matters
This is a protocol for a randomized, sham-controlled trial testing whether 8 weeks of electroacupuncture slows cognitive decline in 150 older adults with mild cognitive impairment. No results are available yet, so it is not known whether electroacupuncture helps.
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Study details
- Participants75
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 55/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Trials) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Trials: journal h-index 132 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 75 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 17 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.3 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 4 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Chuan Shan Xu: h-index 35 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Chinese University of Hong Kong: institution h-index 1,100 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 26012577) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 55 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Leung, A. W., Lam, L. C., Kwan, A. K., Tsang, C. L., Zhang, H. W., Guo, Y. Q., et al. (2015). Electroacupuncture for older adults with mild cognitive impairment: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-015-0740-z
Vancouver
Leung AW, Lam LC, Kwan AK, Tsang CL, Zhang HW, Guo YQ, et al. Electroacupuncture for older adults with mild cognitive impairment: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2015. doi:10.1186/s13063-015-0740-z. PMID: 26012577.
BibTeX
@article{leung2015-26012577,
author = {Leung, A. W. and Lam, L. C. and Kwan, A. K. and Tsang, C. L. and Zhang, H. W. and Guo, Y. Q. and Xu, C. S.},
title = {{Electroacupuncture for older adults with mild cognitive impairment: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial}},
journal = {Trials},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1186/s13063-015-0740-z},
pmid = {26012577},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-015-0740-z}
}
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