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Needles vs. delirium: could acupuncture protect Seniors' minds after surgery?

NCT ID NCT06564506

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether electroacupuncture, a type of acupuncture with mild electrical stimulation, can prevent postoperative delirium in adults aged 65-90 undergoing total knee replacement. Over 1,400 participants will receive either real or placebo acupuncture before surgery. Researchers will monitor for confusion and other cognitive changes in the first three days after the operation.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
electroacupuncture
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a drug-free way to prevent confusion after surgery in older adults.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage trial with no phase, and the effect of electroacupuncture on delirium is unproven. Results may not show a clear benefit over placebo.

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 1,460 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Nov 2025

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Aug 2026

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

65 to 90 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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 65-90 years * American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) physical status class II or III * Scheduled for elective unilateral total knee arthroplasty under general anesthesia Exclusion Criteria: * Baseline dementia or Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score below 24 * Implanted electrical devices (eg, pacemakers, brain or spinal cord neurostimulator) * Infection or abscess at any selected acupuncture point * Severe hematopoietic or hemorrhagic disease * Severe audio-visual impairments or inability to communicate in Mandarin * Alcohol or illicit drug misuse disorder * Current use of sedatives, antidepressants or glucocorticoids * Received acupuncture or electroacupuncture within one month before surgery * Any condition deemed unsafe or unsuitable by the research team

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Emergence Delirium

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.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. 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

  • Fujian Provincial Hospital

    Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.