Effect of Transcutaneous Acupoint Electrical Stimulation (TAES) on Postoperative Cough in Lung Cancer

September 2, 2025 updated by: Kong Fanming

Director of Oncology Department, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Observation and exploration of the improvement in cough symptoms in postoperative lung cancer patients with Transcutaneous Acupoint Electrical Stimulation (TAES), the change in Cough Symptom Score (CSS) compared to baseline, the change in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score for cough symptoms compared to baseline, the change in total score of Leicester Cough Questionnaire-Mandarin Chinese version (LCQ-MC) compared to baseline, and overall evaluation of treatment effectiveness by patients. A total of 84 postoperative lung cancer patients with cough were strictly selected according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria and treated and followed up according to the research plan requirements. Clinical observation forms were completed and clinical data were recorded in the database. Statistical analysis was performed on relevant clinical observation indicators to report research results and write related papers.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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

To obtain sufficient evidence from evidence-based medicine, prospective, random, blind, and controlled clinical trials are adopted to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of TEAS in treating postoperative cough in lung cancer patients. This study aims to provide a potential non-pharmacological treatment option for postoperative cough patients with lung cancer, improve the quality of life of postoperative lung cancer patients, identify the population that is more likely to benefit from TEAS treatment and provide a solid scientific basis and guidance for personalized acupuncture treatment for postoperative cough in lung cancer patients.

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 (Estimated)

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.
84

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

  • China
    • Tianjin Municipality
      • Tianjin, Tianjin Municipality, China, 300193
        • Recruiting
        • First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
        • 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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age between 18 and 80 years old - Surgery performed under general anesthesia for radical resection of lung cancer or lung cancer resection combined with lymph node dissection.
  • Pathological confirmation of primary lung cancer after surgery.
  • Duration of persistent dry cough after lung surgery ≥2 weeks.
  • Consciousness, ability to express opinions clearly, and voluntary signing of informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients diagnosed with acute respiratory system diseases within 1 month.
  • Patients diagnosed with pneumonia based on chest X-ray.
  • Patients with a history of asthma or tuberculosis.
  • Patients with uncontrolled hyperthyroidism, severe hypertension, heart disease, systemic infection, coagulation disorders (hypercoagulable state or bleeding tendency), or other severe systemic diseases.
  • Patients who have used steroid drugs within the past 3 months.
  • Patients who have taken angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) within the past 6 months.
  • Patients with surgical incisions, skin allergies, wounds, or infections in the treatment area.
  • Patients who cannot tolerate transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation or withdraw during the procedure.
  • Patients with contraindications to transcutaneous electrical stimulation or implanted electrophysiological devices.
  • Patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

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: 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: TEAS group
The patient takes a sitting position, uses alcohol to wipe the skin at the selected acupoint, waits for it to dry, and then applies the electrode patch. Connect the percutaneous acupoint electric stimulator and provide transcutaneous acupoint electric stimulation, selecting a continuous wave at 2 Hz.
Other: Transcutaneous Acupoint Electrical Stimulation (TAES)
Transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TAES) is a non-invasive treatment method that delivers gentle electrical pulses through the skin to specific acupuncture points on the body. This technique aims to mimic the effects of traditional acupuncture, providing a convenient and painless method of treatment.
Sham Comparator: Sham TEAS group
The electrode patch is placed on the acupoint, similar to the TEAS group patients, but without starting the electric stimulation, and indicates to the patient that there will be no special sensation during the treatment process. The electrode is well protected during the operation and will not come off.
Other: Transcutaneous Acupoint Electrical Stimulation (TAES)
Transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TAES) is a non-invasive treatment method that delivers gentle electrical pulses through the skin to specific acupuncture points on the body. This technique aims to mimic the effects of traditional acupuncture, providing a convenient and painless method of treatment.

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
LCQ-MC
Time Frame: Prior to treatment (baseline), at the end of treatment (week 2), and 2 weeks after the end of treatment (week 4)
The questionnaire consists of 19 items, each of which is divided into 7 levels according to the severity, including the impact of chronic cough on the physiological domain (chest pain, cough, sputum, fatigue, sleep, hoarseness, etc.), psychological domain (feeling embarrassed, anxious, depressed, annoyed, etc.), and social domain (work, daily life, leisure activities, conversation, phone calls, interference with friends or family members). The score for each domain is the total score of each item in that domain divided by the number of questions (scored from 1 to 7), and the total score is the sum of the scores for the three domains (scored from 3 to 21). A higher score represents a better patient's health condition.
Prior to treatment (baseline), at the end of treatment (week 2), and 2 weeks after the end of treatment (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.
Kong Fanming

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.
April 17, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
April 17, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
June 17, 2026

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).
July 29, 2024

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.
August 7, 2024

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.
August 12, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

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.
September 8, 2025

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.
September 2, 2025

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.
June 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • TYLL2024[Z]026

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

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings