Pterygopalatine Ganglion Stimulation for the Treatment of Geographic Atrophy

April 29, 2026 updated by: Shanghai Institute of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Meridian

Feasibility and Safety Evaluation of Pterygopalatine Ganglion Stimulation in Patients With Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of pterygopalatine ganglion (PPG) stimulation in adults with geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Is PPG stimulation feasible to implement, as reflected by participant adherence to the intervention and completion of follow-up assessments? Is PPG stimulation safe, as assessed by the incidence of adverse events and clinical ophthalmic examinations? What are the preliminary effects of PPG stimulation on choroidal perfusion, retinal sensitivity, visual acuity, and the progression of GA lesion area?

Researchers will compare active PPG stimulation with sham stimulation (a procedure that mimics the intervention without delivering real stimulation) to assess feasibility and safety, while exploring potential therapeutic effects.

Participants will:

Receive active or sham PPG stimulation according to randomization over a 12-month study period Attend scheduled clinic visits for safety monitoring and multimodal ophthalmic assessments Undergo examinations including optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus autofluorescence imaging, microperimetry, and visual acuity testing

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

62

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • China
      • Shanghai, China, 200030
        • Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian
        • 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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), as measured using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart, ranging from 25 to 80 letters (Snellen equivalent, 20/320 to 20/25).

  • A confirmed diagnosis of geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), with no involvement of the foveal center. Fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging must demonstrate a total GA area of 2.5 to 17.5 mm² located within a 30° field centered on the fovea, with the presence of any pattern of increased autofluorescence at the junctional zone of GA. In cases of multifocal GA, at least one lesion must be ≥1.25 mm² in size.

    • If both eyes meet the eligibility criteria, the eye with the worse BCVA will be selected as the study eye. If BCVA is equal in both eyes, the right eye will be designated as the study eye.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History or evidence of submacular surgery or other treatments for AMD in the study eye, with the exception of oral vitamin and mineral supplementation.
  • History of intraocular surgery within 3 months prior to screening, or the presence of ocular conditions requiring surgical intervention during the study period.
  • Receipt of any periocular or intravitreal injection therapy in the study eye within 3 months prior to screening.
  • History or evidence of choroidal neovascularization in either eye, or the presence of any other retinal disease that may confound the assessment of macular structure or function (e.g., diabetic retinopathy or pathologic myopia).
  • Presence of severe systemic disease or any other condition deemed unsuitable for study participation.
  • Inability to comply with scheduled visits or complete study procedures due to cognitive impairment or other factors, as judged by the investigator.

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
Intervention / Treatment
Sham Comparator: Sham stimulation
Procedure: Sham pterygopalatine ganglion stimulation
During sham stimulation, a disposable stainless steel needle (0.25 × 25 mm) was inserted superficially at the same anatomical location as in the active stimulation group, to a depth of approximately 2 cm. Ultrasound guidance was applied in an identical manner to that used in the active intervention to mimic the procedural experience. However, the internal circuitry of the stimulation device was disconnected to prevent current delivery. The device interface continued to display real-time parameters, including current intensity, frequency, and stimulation duration, thereby maintaining the appearance of active operation.
Other Names:
  • Sham sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation
Experimental: Active stimulation
Procedure: Pterygopalatine ganglion stimulation
Electrical stimulation was delivered using a disposable sterile needle electrode (0.30 × 60 mm; Beijing Keyuan Medical Devices Co., Ltd., China). Under ultrasound guidance, the needle tip was advanced into the pterygopalatine fossa. Ipsilateral pterygopalatine ganglion stimulation was administered to the study eye using an intermittent waveform at a frequency of 5 Hz and a current intensity of 1-2 mA for 10 minutes. The stimulation intensity was adjusted to elicit a mild local electrical sensation as perceived by the participant.
Other Names:
  • Sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Proportion of participants who completed the trial
Time Frame: At 12 months
Proportion of participants who were successfully randomized to either intervention group, fully adhered to the assigned intervention protocol, and completed all scheduled follow-up assessments.
At 12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of adverse events
Time Frame: From enrollment to 12 months
From enrollment to 12 months
Choroidal structure
Time Frame: -7 to 0 days, 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months
-7 to 0 days, 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months
Retinal sensitivity
Time Frame: Baseline (0), 6 months, and 12 months
Baseline (0), 6 months, and 12 months
Standard and low-luminance best corrected visual acuity
Time Frame: -7 to 0 days, 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months
-7 to 0 days, 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months
Geographic atrophy lesion area and square root-transformed geographic atrophy area
Time Frame: -7 to 0 days, 6 months, and 12 months
-7 to 0 days, 6 months, and 12 months
Contrast sensitivity
Time Frame: Baseline (0), 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months
Baseline (0), 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months
25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire score
Time Frame: Baseline (0), 6 months, and 12 months
Vision-related quality of life was assessed using the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25). This corresponds to a score between 0 and 100, with higher scores indicating better visual quality of life
Baseline (0), 6 months, and 12 months
Treatment credibility scale score
Time Frame: 1 week and 12 months
Assessed by asking participants to rate their response to five questions on a 10-point treatment credibility scale developed by Borkovec and Nau. Higher scores represent higher expectations of efficacy.
1 week and 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Shanghai Institute of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Meridian

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 (Estimated)

June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

July 31, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 7, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 29, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 29, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • ShanghaiIAMM2026011

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

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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