NCT07357688Not yet recruiting
The Effect of Acupuncture Therapy on Cognitive Function in Post-COVID-19 Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
The Effect of Acupuncture Therapy on Cognitive Function in Post-COVID-19 Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Study With Multimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 22 Jan 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
Background of study: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a common sequela after SARS-CoV-2 infection(COVID-19). Cognitive dysfunction is one of the most common debilitating symptoms in ME/CFS. Currently, standardized therapy for ME/CFS has not been established. Some treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET), mainly exert effects on physical symptoms, whereas the influence on cognitive problems is not significant. Acupuncture is an important complementary and alternative therapy for ME/CFS. However, However, research focused on the impact of acupuncture on cognitive functions in ME/CFS is rare. Additionally, no study has evaluated the efficacy and mechanism of acupuncture treatment in improving cognitive functions for post-COVID-19 ME/CFS. Objective of the study: The first objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of acupuncture treatment in improving cognitive function for post-COVID-19 ME/CFS. The second objective is to explore whether acupuncture improves cognitive ability in patients with post-COVID-19 ME/CFS through modulating hippocampal connectivity and metabolites using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). Study design: A prospective, three-armed, randomized controlled trial with resting-state functional MRI(rs-fMRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy(MRS). Adults with post-COVID-19 ME/CFS will be randomly assigned to acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or waitlist control group in a 1:1:1 ratio, receiving 8-week intervention or waiting. Cognitive functions and resting-state functional connectivity(RSFC) and the levels of metabolites for each hippocampus will be examined at baseline and 8th week. Study population: Patients fulfilling 2015 National Academy of Medicine (NAM) criteria for ME/CFS following COVID-19.
- Status (registry)
- Not yet recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 99 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 1 Jan 2026
- Start date
- May 2026
- Primary completion date
- Dec 2027
- Lead sponsor
- Xi Wu
- Diseases
- Long COVID and ME/CFS
- NCT number
- NCT07357688
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 99
- From May 2026 to the primary completion date, Dec 2027
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Persistent fatigue occurs prior to COVID-19
- Previous or current diagnosis of severe chronic diseases such as heart, kidney or liver failure, tumor
- Previous or current diagnosis of neurological or psychiatric disorder such as neurodegenerative disease, stroke, epilepsy, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia
- Previous or current diagnosis of endocrine or metabolic disease such as hypothyroidism, adrenocortical hypofunction, type 2 diabetes
- Previous or current diagnosis of autoimmune disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis
- Within one year after major surgery
- Metal or electronic device implants
- Previous acupuncture treatment in the latest 3 months
Other illness
- Chronic infection or inflammatory disease such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS), chronic hepatitis, irritable bowel syndrome
Other
- Substance or alcohol abuse
- Obesity (Body Mass Index≥28)
- Long-term use of immunosuppressant or glucocorticoid
- Claustrophobia
- Pregnancy or lactation
- Participating in another clinical research within a month
Who the study is looking for
- 18-60 years old
- Fatigue occurred during or after initial recovery of COVID-19 confirmed by nasopharyngeal swab reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) or antigen testing lasts for at least 6 months
- Fulfilling US National Academy of Medicine(NAM) criteria for ME/CFS
- Chinese native speaker
- Right handedness
- Voluntary to participate in the study and signing the informed consent form.
Age in the registry: 18 years to 60 years · Sex: All · Accepts healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Chengdu | China | Unknown status |
Related publications
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.