Two Electroacupuncture Waveforms for Different Severity Groups of Bell Palsy

May 30, 2026 updated by: Jing Sun, The Third Affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University

A Randomized Trial Comparing Two Electroacupuncture Waveforms for Different Severity Groups of Bell Palsy

Bell palsy (BP) is the most common cause of acute facial palsy, which leads to functional and esthetic disturbances for patients and results in a lowered quality of life. Electroacupuncture (EA) received attention as an alternative and complementary treatment method. The low-frequency continuous wave EA and the intermittent wave EA have been used in the management of BP. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of these two electroacupuncture waveforms for different severity groups of BP.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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

The investigators will recruit 60 patients with BP whose ENoG test indicate a mild to moderate facial nerve damage, as indicated by the ratio of amplitude of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) of the affected side comparing to normal side is 20% or higher. And the investigators will recruit 60 patients with BP whose ENoG test indicate a severe damage, as indicated by the ratio of amplitude of the CMAP of the affected side comparing to normal side is less than 20%. Both the two types of patients will be randomly divided into either the low-frequency continuous wave group, or the intermittent wave group, and receive 4 weeks treatment. The primary outcomes is change from baseline score of the Facial Nerve Grading System 2.0. The secondary outcomes are change from baseline score of the Sunnybrook grading scale, and change from baseline value of the amplitude of the CMAP of the affected side in the ENoG test.

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 (Actual)

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.
120

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 Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • China
    • Zhejiang
      • Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310053
        • The Third Affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University
      • Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 310006
        • The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University
    • Zhejing
      • Hangzhou, Zhejing, China, 310006
        • Hangzhou First People' s Hospital, Hangzhou

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Diagnosed as BP by specialist.
  2. The score of FNGS 2.0 ≥ 15 at the day 21 since the onset of BP.
  3. 18 years ≤ age ≤ 65 years.
  4. Received prednisolone within 72 hours since initial symptoms of BP, the prednisolone dose used was 60 mg per day for 5 days and then reduced by 10 mg per day.
  5. Signed informed consent and volunteered to participate in this study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Facial palsy caused by other diseases or injury.
  2. Ramsey-Hunt syndrome.
  3. Bilateral facial palsy.
  4. History of previous facial palsy.
  5. Manifesting facial spasm, facial synkinesis or contracture at day 21 since the onset of BP.
  6. History of surgery on face.
  7. Combined with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, uncontrolled hypertension, serious heart, liver, kidney damage or cognitive impairment, aphasia, mental disorders.
  8. Installing pacemakers.
  9. Pregnant and lactating patients.

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 Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

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: Low-frequency continuous wave group
Low-frequency continuous wave EA In each treatment session, the subjects will receive EA treatment. The selected acupoints for needling will be BL2, GB1, GB14, ST2, SI18, ST6, ST4, ST7, SJ17, EX-HN16, EX-HN5, on affected side, and LI4, bilaterally. After the de-qi sensation is achieved, electrical stimulator will be connected to BL2-GB1, and ST4-ST6, and 2Hz continuous wave will be used for 20 min.
Other: electroacupuncture
Electroacupuncture (EA) is a form of acupuncture in which a weak electric current is passed through the acupuncture needles into acupoints in the skin.
Experimental: Intermittent wave group
Intermittent wave EA In each treatment session, the subjects will receive EA treatment. The selected acupoints for needling will be BL2, GB1, GB14, ST2, SI18, ST6, ST4, ST7, SJ17, EX-HN16, EX-HN5, on affected side, and LI4, bilaterally. After the de-qi sensation is achieved, electrical stimulator will be connected to BL2-GB1, and ST4-ST6, and 40Hz intermittent wave will be used for 20 min.
Other: electroacupuncture
Electroacupuncture (EA) is a form of acupuncture in which a weak electric current is passed through the acupuncture needles into acupoints in the skin.

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
Change from Baseline score of the Facial Nerve Grading System 2.0
Time Frame: Baseline, the end of week 4
Evaluation of the facial nerve function using the Facial Nerve Grading System 2.0 (FNGS 2.0). In the FNGS 2.0, the minimal score is 4, which indicates normal function, and the maximal score is 24, which indicates the worst function.
Baseline, the end of week 4

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
Change from Baseline score of the Sunnybrook grading scale.
Time Frame: Baseline, the end of week 4
Evaluation of the facial nerve function using the Sunnybrook grading scale. The Sunnybrook grading scale includes 3 subscales, which are the resting symmetry subscale, the symmetry of voluntary movement subscale, and the synkinesis subscale. Change from baseline score of each subscale and change from baseline of the composite score will be calculated.
Baseline, the end of week 4
Change from Baseline value of the amplitude of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) of the affected side in the ENoG test.
Time Frame: Baseline, the end of week 4
The compound motor action potential (CMAP) represents the summated action potentials of all stimulated motor endplates and potentially reflects muscle hypertrophy and increased muscle contractions.
Baseline, the end of week 4

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.
The Third Affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Zhejiang University
The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Jing Sun, MD, Ph.D, The Third Affiliated hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University

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.
November 15, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

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.
May 25, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

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.
May 25, 2025

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).
September 26, 2023

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.
September 26, 2023

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.
October 3, 2023

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.
June 2, 2026

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.
May 30, 2026

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.
May 1, 2026

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.
  • GZY-ZJ-KY-23071-01

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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