What question did this study set out to answer?

This trial aims to investigate the efficacy of acupuncture in improving cognitive functions in patients suffering from post-COVID-19 condition.

May 3, 2026Open Access

Acupuncture for cognitive functions in post-COVID-19 condition: study protocol of a three-armed, randomized controlled trial with multimodal MRI

Puntos clave

This trial aims to investigate the efficacy of acupuncture in improving cognitive functions in patients suffering from post-COVID-19 condition.
Three-armed, randomized controlled trial with 117 participants assigned to verum acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or waitlist control.
Participants receive three sessions per week for 8 weeks; cognitive tests and brain imaging are conducted.
Primary outcomes include changes in cognitive testing scores and functional brain network analysis using DTI and fMRI.
Expected improvements in cognitive function indicated by changes in Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-III and phonemic fluency scores.
Insights into the neural mechanisms of acupuncture effects on cognitive impairment in post-COVID-19 condition.
Analysis of the structural and functional connectivity of brain networks using imaging data.

Resumen

BackgroundPost-COVID-19 condition (PCC), commonly called long COVID, is a prevalent sequela of SARS-CoV-2 infection and can affect multiple organ systems. Cognitive dysfunction is one of the most common symptoms in PCC, with a prevalence of 22%. It can persist for years and significantly reduce patients’ quality of life. The brain network is the neural basis underlying human cognitive processes. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have revealed that cognitive impairments across attention, memory, executive function, and language are associated with alterations in network characteristics for PCC. Currently, there is no accepted therapy for cognitive impairment in PCC. Acupuncture has the potential to improve cognitive deficits in PCC. This trial aims to investigate the effect of acupuncture on cognitive functions in patients with PCC, and to explore the underlying mechanism of its effects on cognition in this condition using DTI and fMRI.MethodsIn this three-armed, randomized controlled trial, 117 PCC patients with cognitive symptoms will be randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to verum acupuncture (VA), sham acupuncture (SA), or a waitlist control group. Participants in the VA and SA groups will receive three sessions of treatment per week for 8 weeks. The primary outcome measures are the changes in Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-III (ACE-III) total score and phonemic fluency test score at week 8. The secondary outcome measures include the Digit Span Test (DST), Symbol Digit Modality Test (SDMT), Trail Making Test (TMT), Rey’s Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT), Stroop Color Word Test (SCWT), category fluency test, action fluency test, and Boston Naming Test (BNT-30), as well as global and regional topological measures of structural and functional brain networks constructed from DTI and fMRI data. Additionally, the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), the 24-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-24), and the MOS 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) will also be measured.DiscussionThe results of this study will reveal the effect of acupuncture treatment on cognitive functions for PCC and provide insights into the mechanisms by which acupuncture may improve cognition in PCC.Clinical trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov), identifier: NCT07355751.

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