Laser Acupuncture for Dry Eye

August 2, 2018 updated by: Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Laser Acupuncture Therapy in Patients With Dry Eye: A Two-center Randomized Controlled Trial

Subjects with dry eye are enrolled at two ophthalmic centers and randomly assigned to a laser acupuncture group and control group under conventional treatment with artificial tears. The effects of laser acupuncture therapy for patients with dry eye are investigated.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Unknown

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Objective: Dry eye is a common ophthalmologic disorder causing ocular discomfort in daily life. The investigators aim to investigate the effects of laser acupuncture therapy for patients with dry eye.

Methods: 200 subjects with dry eye are enrolled at two ophthalmic centers and randomly assigned to a laser acupuncture group and control group under conventional treatment with artificial tears. The subjects are treated at acupoints including BL2, TE23, ST2, LI4, ST36, and GB37 using verum or sham laser acupuncture during 3 sessions per week. After 4 and 12 weeks of treatment, the differences in the Tear film break-up time, Schirmer test, visual analogue scale, Ocular Surface Disease Index of the patients are analyzed, and compared between the laser acupuncture and control groups using paired t-test and one way ANOVA.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
200

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Taiwan
      • Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 833
        • Recruiting
        • Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

20 years to 65 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 20 < age < 65, with aggravated dry eye (one or both eyes), evaluated by ophthalmologist and provides informed consent.
  • Tear film break-up time < 10 s
  • Schirmer's strips with anesthesia < 5mm/ 5min

Exclusion Criteria:

  • presence of eye lesions, received operation for eye during the past three months, combination of other ophthalmic medication, or using contact lens
  • pregnancy, diabetes mellitus, vitamin A deficiency, sequelae of Bell's palsy, hemodialysis
  • critical illness such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, etc
  • has taken or needs active treatment (including Chinese medicine)
  • presence of a pacemaker; history of seizure or epilepsy; using immunosuppressants; cancer; infectious disease of skin
  • does not meet the physician's assessment for recruitment
  • lack of informed consent.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: PARALLEL
  • Masking: DOUBLE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
EXPERIMENTAL: Laser acupuncture
The subjects are treated at acupoints including BL2, TE23, ST2, LI4, ST36, and GB37 using laser acupuncture during 3 sessions per week for 12 weeks.
Procedure: Laser acupuncture
Subjects were treated 3 times per week for 12 weeks with the LaserPen (GaAlAs laser diode, 810 nm, 150 mW, pulsed waves), which delivered 0.375 J of energy (5 s) to BL2, TE23, ST2, LI4, ST36, and GB37.
SHAM_COMPARATOR: Sham laser acupuncture
The subjects are treated at acupoints including BL2, TE23, ST2, LI4, ST36, and GB37 using sham laser acupuncture (without laser output) during 3 sessions per week for 12 weeks.
Procedure: Sham laser acupuncture
Subjects were treated 3 times per week for 12 weeks with the LaserPen without laser output (5 s) to BL2, TE23, ST2, LI4, ST36, and GB37.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Ocular Surface Disease Index
Time Frame: 12 weeks
The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) is a 12-item scale for the assessment of symptoms related to dry eye disease and their effect on vision.
12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Schirmer test
Time Frame: 12 weeks
A Schirmer's test is used to assess how quickly the eyes produce tears.
12 weeks
Visual analogue scale of eye discomfort
Time Frame: 12 weeks
A 10-cm visual analog scale (0-10 points, least to greatest discomfort intensity, VAS) was used to measure the intensity of eye discomfort.
12 weeks
Tear film break-up time
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Tear film break-up time (TFBUT) measures the time required for tears to naturally evaporate and diffuse after blinking.
12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (ACTUAL)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 1, 2016

Primary Completion (ANTICIPATED)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 31, 2019

Study Completion (ANTICIPATED)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 31, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 21, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 29, 2017

First Posted (ACTUAL)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 2, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 3, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 2, 2018

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • CMRPG8F0551
  • 201600333A3 (OTHER: Chang Gung Medical Foundation Institutional Review Board)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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