Acupuncture Therapy for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL-Acu)

May 3, 2026 updated by: Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University

Acupuncture Combined With Glucocorticoids Therapy for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss：A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

The goal of this multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with corticosteroid therapy in treating sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does acupuncture combined with corticosteroids improve hearing recovery (pure tone audiometry, PTA) at 8 weeks compared with sham acupuncture combined with corticosteroids? Does this treatment improve secondary outcomes, including tinnitus, dizziness, sleep quality, anxiety, and quality of life? Researchers will compare acupuncture (experimental group) with sham acupuncture (control group) to determine the added therapeutic effect of acupuncture.

Participants will:

  1. Receive either real acupuncture or sham acupuncture 3 times per week for 4 weeks.
  2. Meanwhile, take oral prednisone (1 mg/kg/day, maximum 60 mg/day) for 7 days followed by a 7-day taper.
  3. Undergo hearing tests (PTA, word recognition scores), vestibular function tests, and complete validated questionnaires (SF-36, HADS, ISI, DHI, THI, and TCM symptom scales) at baseline and weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12.
  4. Receive salvage intratympanic steroid injections if hearing does not improve sufficiently by day 14.

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.

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.
256

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
      • Shanghai, China
        • Recruiting
        • Eye and ENT hospital of Fudan University
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Yan Chen, PhD

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 70 years;
  • Meets the diagnostic criteria for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL): sudden, unexplained sensorineural hearing loss occurring within 72 hours, with a hearing threshold decrease of ≥30 dB in at least three consecutive frequencies among 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000 Hz (reference: previous audiologic examination or same frequencies of the contralateral ear);
  • Unilateral SSNHL with self-perceived symmetrical hearing in both ears prior to the current episode (or supported by previous audiologic examination reports);
  • Time from symptom onset to enrollment and treatment initiation within 14 days;
  • Clear consciousness and logical responses, able to understand the scale items and complete the assessments;
  • Agrees to participate in the trial and signs a written informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Identifiable definite etiology after complete examination, including acoustic neuroma, cerebrovascular accident, trauma, Hunt syndrome, etc.;
  • History of hearing abnormality (affected ear) or balance dysfunction prior to the current episode (including previous SSNHL, vestibular migraine, Meniere's disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, congenital/hereditary/syphilitic hearing loss, otosclerosis, etc.);
  • Presence of diseases for which systemic corticosteroid therapy is clinically not recommended (e.g., poorly controlled or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, history of peptic ulcer, active infection or tuberculosis, history of hepatitis B or C, pancreatitis, severe osteoporosis, osteonecrosis, etc.);
  • Received systemic or local corticosteroid therapy for 10 days or more prior to enrollment;
  • Presence of other diseases (e.g., severe skin disorders) that preclude completion of acupuncture treatment;
  • Presence of severe organ dysfunction;
  • Received acupuncture treatment within the past 12 months;
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women;
  • Other reasons deemed by the investigator as unsuitable for participation in this clinical study (e.g., high anticipated difficulty in completing follow-up, obvious low compliance, etc.).

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: Single Group 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: Acupuncture combined with corticosteroids group
Participants in this group will receive real acupuncture 3 times per week for 4 weeks, together with oral prednisone (1 mg/kg/day, maximum 60 mg/day) for 7 days followed by a 7-day taper, plus oral Ginkgo biloba extract for 4 weeks.
Procedure: Acupuncture

Main Acupoints (Fixed): Tinghui (GB2), Yifeng (SJ17), Tinggong (SI19), and Shuaigu (GB8) on the affected side; Baihui (GV20) at the vertex; Zhongzhu (SJ3) and Zulinqi (GB41) bilaterally.

Adjunct Acupoints (Bilateral, selected based on TCM pattern differentiation):

External Pathogen Invasion: Hegu (LI4) + Waiguan (SJ5) Liver Fire Harassing Upper: Yanglingquan (GB34) + Xingjian (LR2) Phlegm Fire Stagnation: Fenglong (ST40) + Neiting (ST44) Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis: Xuehai (SP10) + Taichong (LR3) Kidney Essence Deficiency: Taixi (KI3) + Sanyinjiao (SP6) Spleen and Stomach Deficiency: Zusanli (ST36) + Qihai (CV6)
Sham Comparator: Sham acupuncture combined with corticosteroids group
Participants in this group will receive sham acupuncture (applied to the same acupoint locations as in the experimental group, while the needle tip does not penetrate the skin) 3 times per week for 4 weeks, together with oral prednisone (1 mg/kg/day, maximum 60 mg/day) for 7 days followed by a 7-day taper, plus oral Ginkgo biloba extract for 4 weeks.
Procedure: Sham acupuncture
The same acupoints are used, but with blunt-tip placebo needles that do not penetrate the skin. The needles are fixed with adhesive patches, and the procedure is identical to the real acupuncture group to maintain blinding.

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
Hearing improvement
Time Frame: Week 8
Hearing improvement measured by the change in Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) average (500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz) from baseline to week 8, compared between the acupuncture + corticosteroid group and the sham acupuncture + corticosteroid group.
Week 8

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
Hearing outcomes at multiple time points
Time Frame: week 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Changes in PTA at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
week 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Word Recognition Score (WRS)
Time Frame: weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Changes of WRS from baseline at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Sudden hearing loss recovery grade
Time Frame: weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Complete, significant, partial, or no recovery according to the 2019 AAO-HNS guideline criteria
weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
TCM symptom score
Time Frame: week 8
Change from baseline to week 8 using the pattern-specific TCM symptom scale
week 8
Sensory Organization Test
Time Frame: weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Sensory Organization Test (SOT) scores at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)
Time Frame: weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Changes from baseline at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI)
Time Frame: weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Changes from baseline at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI)
Time Frame: weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Changes from baseline at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)
Time Frame: weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Changes from baseline at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Quality of life (SF-36)
Time Frame: weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Changes from baseline at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Aural fullness scale (AFS)
Time Frame: weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Visual analog scale (0-10) changes from baseline at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12
Salvage treatment rate
Time Frame: day 14
Proportion of participants requiring intratympanic steroid injection due to insufficient hearing recovery at day 14
day 14
Safety outcome
Time Frame: week 8
Proportion of adverse events in both groups at week 8
week 8

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.
Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University

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 13, 2026

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.
December 31, 2027

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.
December 31, 2027

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 3, 2026

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.
May 3, 2026

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.
May 8, 2026

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.
May 8, 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 3, 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.
  • SSHNL-Acupuncture-Trial

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

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.

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