Needles vs. delirium: could acupuncture protect Seniors' minds after surgery?
NCT ID NCT06564506
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
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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 1,460 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Nov 2025
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2026
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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65 to 90 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- 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.
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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.
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
1 site. 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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Fujian Provincial Hospital
Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a common sedative added to spinal anesthesia keep older minds clear after hip surgery?
- Could a sleep drug shield older hearts from post-surgery delirium?
- Could a common sedative shield aging brains from Post-Surgery delirium?