Acupuncture needles vs. ADHD: new study tests ancient therapy for hyperactive kids
NCT ID NCT06860763
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at whether acupuncture can improve symptoms of ADHD in children ages 6 to 12. Researchers will give some kids acupuncture plus herbal medicine, and others just herbs, then compare results using parent surveys and interviews. The goal is to see if adding acupuncture helps with attention, behavior, and quality of life.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 120 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Oct 2024
- Expected to finish
-
Jan 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
6 to 12 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: Patients will be considered for enrolment if they meet the criteria of: * A confirmed diagnosis of ADHD based on the DSM-5 criteria for ADHD (Western medical diagnosis) and in accordance with the ADHD Chinese Medicine Clinical Trial Design and Evaluation Technical Guidelines. * Aged between 6 and 12 years. * No use of any other pharmacological treatments (both Western and traditional Chinese medicine) within the two weeks prior to the start of the study. * An IQ score of greater than 80, as determined by the Raven's Progressive Matrices test. * The participant has not participated in any other clinical trials. Exclusion Criteria: Patients will be excluded from the study if they meet any of the following criteria: * Do not meet the inclusion criteria * Have comorbid psychiatric disorders, severe medical or psychiatric conditions that may interfere with the study (e.g., epilepsy, severe anxiety), pervasive developmental disorders, intellectual disability, or a history of suicidal or self-harming behavior * Have participated in any other drug clinical trials within the past 3 months. * Have severe comorbid conditions such as cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, or hematologic diseases. * Have any other conditions that the researchers believe may interfere with the assessment of treatment efficacy or safety.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Acupuncture are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Pediatrics Outpatient Department of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine
RECRUITINGBeijing, Chaoyang District, 100036, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Watch and wait: could immunotherapy let some GI cancer patients avoid surgery?
- Can a smartwatch predict which cancer patients return to hospital?
- Can a local anesthetic injection curb Kids' pain after tonsil removal?
- Needle-Free laser acupuncture put to the test against traditional needles for back pain
- Two ways to rebuild a Child's bone: which holds up?
- Can meal timing reset ADHD symptoms and sleep?