Can tiny electric acupuncture needles help women with low egg reserve conceive?
NCT ID NCT07769684
First seen Aug 18, 2026 · Last updated Aug 19, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether electro-thumbtack needle (ETN) therapy, a form of acupuncture with mild electrical stimulation, can improve the live birth rate in women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). About 406 women with DOR will be randomly assigned to receive either real ETN or a placebo version, starting 1-3 menstrual cycles before IVF and continuing until the trigger shot. Researchers will compare pregnancy outcomes, egg quality, and emotional well-being between the two groups to see if ETN makes a meaningful difference.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- electro-thumbtack needle (ETN) therapy, a form of acupuncture with electrical stimulation
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this could offer a drug-free way to improve IVF success in women with diminished ovarian reserve, potentially increasing their chances of having a baby.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage trial, and results may not confirm benefit. The therapy is generally safe, but individual responses can vary, and it may not improve outcomes for everyone.
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
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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
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About 406 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2031
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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20 to 42 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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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: * 1\. Age between 20-42 years old; * 2\. Meet the DOR diagnostic criteria: Diagnosis of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) can be made if any two of the following three criteria are met: ①Serum AMH level ≤ 1.1 ng/mL; ②On days 2-4 of the menstrual cycle, transvaginal ultrasound demonstrates a total number of basal antral follicles (diameter 2-10 mm) in both ovaries \<7 (antral follicle counting, AFC); ③For two consecutive menstrual cycles, on days 2-4, serum FSH levels range from 10 U/L to \<25 U/L. * 3\. Semen routine examination of the participant's spouse is normal: sperm concentration ≥15×10⁶/mL, proportion of forward-moving sperm ≥32%, proportion of normally shaped sperm ≥4%; * 4\. Intend to undergo In Vitro Fertilization - Embryo Transfer (IVF-ET); * 5\. Voluntarily participate in this study, sign the informed consent form, and be able to cooperate to complete the treatment and follow-up. Exclusion Criteria: * 1\. Chromosomal or genetic abnormalities in the female or male partner; * 2\. History of ovarian surgery, such as surgery for ovarian teratomas or ovarian chocolate cysts; * 3\. Uterine abnormalities that may affect embryo implantation (including uterine malformations, uterine tuberculosis, adenomyosis, and submucosal myomas \>4 cm); * 4\. Unresolved intrauterine adhesions, endometritis, or endometrial polyps; * 5\. The female partner has uncorrected endocrine disorders such as uncomplicated hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, hyperprolactinemia, insulin resistance, diabetes, adrenal diseases, or has taken antipsychotic medications in the past 3 months; * 6\. The female partner has a confirmed diagnosis of autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, antiphospholipid syndrome, Sjögren's syndrome, or Hashimoto's thyroiditis; * 7\. Three or more failed embryo transfers; * 8\. History of malignant tumors in the female or male partner with prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy; * 9\. The female partner has received acupuncture or press needle therapy in the past 3 months; * 10\. Use of Chinese herbal decoctions or granules during treatment; * 11\. Abnormal semen analysis in the male partner; * 12\. Refusal to undergo in vitro fertilization - embryo transfer (IVF-ET); * 13\. Refusal to sign the informed consent form for this study.
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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.
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The places running it
4 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Shiyan People's Hospital
Shiyan, Hubei, 442000, China
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Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
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Wuhan Jinxin Gynecology and Obstetrics Hospital of Integrative Medicine
Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Xiangyang Central Hospital
Xiangyang, Hubei, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.