Effects of Combined Heat Application and Acupressure to the Carotid Artery Region on Cerebral Blood Flow in Healthy Adults

Effects of Combined Heat Application and Acupressure to the Carotid Artery Region on Cerebral Blood Flow in Healthy Adults: An Investigator-Initiated, Single-Group, Single-Center, Prospective Case Study

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of combined heat application and acupressure to the carotid artery region on cerebral blood flow in healthy adults

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Healthy Subjects/Volunteers
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Combined heat and acupressure

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 9
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Jisoo Baik, Doctoral; Phone Number: 82+055-360-4159; Email: zisoo@pusan.ac.kr

Study Locations

• South Korea
  • Gyeongsangnam-do
    • Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, 50612
      • Recruiting
      • Rehab lab, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital
      • Contact: Jisoo Baik, Doctoral; Phone Number: 82+55-360-4159; Email: zisoo@pusan.ac.kr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged 40 to 65 years.
• Individuals with no history of cerebrovascular, cardiovascular, or neurological diseases.
• Individuals who have signed the informed consent form and voluntarily agreed to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals with a history of cerebrovascular, cardiovascular, or neurological diseases (e.g., stroke, angina, epilepsy).

Individuals currently taking medications that may affect cerebral blood flow (such as antihypertensive agents or antidepressants).

Individuals with skin diseases or lesions that make it difficult to apply heat or acupressure devices to the carotid artery region, and individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Individuals with a history of seizures.

Individuals who have participated in clinical studies two or more times in the same year, or who have participated in another clinical study within the past 6 months.

Individuals who, in the judgment of the principal investigator or sub-investigator, have clinically significant findings that make them unsuitable for participation in this study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Combined heat and acupressure

Device: Combined heat and acupressure; Press the start button to activate the automatic mode. When the start button is pressed, the device operates for approximately 40 minutes. When the start button is pressed, acupressure massage is performed with a single back-and-forth cycle from acupressure bar No. 1 to No. 18. The device then performs back-and-forth acupressure massage between acupressure bars No. 18 and No. 13 for the remaining time. After operating for 40 minutes in automatic mode, the mattress heating unit, the acupressure bar heating unit, and the acupressure bar movement are all turned off.; Press the shoulder button. The acupressure bar operates in the neck-to-shoulder section (acupressure bars No. 1 to 6), and both the mattress heating unit and the acupressure bar heating unit are activated.; After operating for 20 minutes in manual mode, the mattress heating unit, the acupressure bar heating unit, and the acupressure bar movement are turned off.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
A SPECT CT brain scan	Cerebral blood flow change rate analysis: For each participant, the percentage change in cerebral blood flow (CBF) observed on SPECT imaging compared with the baseline time point will be quantitatively analyzed at the following three time points. Radiopharmaceutical injection reference times: 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 20 minutes after injection.	In the post-SPECT protocol, the radiopharmaceutical will be administered at 5 minutes (n=3), 10 minutes (n=3), and 20 minutes (n=3) after the start of image acquisition.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): February 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 23, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 23, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): January 7, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 7, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 23, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Cerebral blood flow; SPECT imaging; Carotid artery; Heat application; Acupressure Combined heat and acupressure; Single-group prospective study; Single-center study
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Therapeutics; Complementary Therapies; Physical Therapy Modalities; Rehabilitation; Therapy, Soft Tissue; Musculoskeletal Manipulations; Acupressure
• Other Study ID Numbers: 21-2025-010

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data (IPD) cannot be shared due to protection of participants' personal infand regulatory restrictions of our hospital.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No