Could zapping a nerve in your face save your sight?
NCT ID NCT07570355
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This early study tests whether stimulating a nerve cluster behind the cheekbone (the pterygopalatine ganglion) is safe and doable for people with geographic atrophy, a severe form of age-related macular degeneration that causes blind spots. Sixty-two adults will receive either real or sham stimulation over 12 months. The main goals are to see if people stick with the procedure and if it causes any harm, while also checking for hints of benefit to eye blood flow and vision.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Pterygopalatine ganglion stimulation (electrical stimulation via needle electrode)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a new, non-drug way to slow vision loss from geographic atrophy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small pilot study focused on safety and feasibility, not on proving the treatment works. The procedure is invasive and may cause discomfort or side effects.
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 62 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jun 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2028
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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50 to 80 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.
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: * 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.
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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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Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian
Shanghai, 200030, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a new eye injection protect vision in geographic atrophy?
- Can genetics predict the worsening of geographic atrophy?
- New eye imaging could reveal hidden clues to vision loss
- A new eye camera may spot stressed cells before vision loss begins
- Gene therapy injection aims to halt blinding eye disease
- Eye imaging showdown: which device measures macular damage best?