Acupuncture Therapy for Pediatric Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction

Conditions

• Disorders of Gut-brain Interaction

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

8 Years - 17 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• Active Therapeutic acupuncture intervention — OTHER
  P-GAP is a prospective, randomized, placebo (sham)-controlled, participant- and assessor-blinded superiority trial. The trial evaluates the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in pediatric patients with DGBIs. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either standardized acupuncture or sham acupuncture over an 8-week treatment period, followed by a post-treatment evaluation. The study includes a screening and run-in phase, a treatment phase, and a follow-up phase.
• Sham therapeutic acupuncture treatment — OTHER
  Control/sham group participants will receive sham acupuncture using sterile, single-use Park Sham Acupuncture Devices at identical scalp points. This mimics the sensation of acupuncture without needle insertion to maintain participant blinding.

Study Details

Disorders of Gut-Brain Interactions (DGBIs) significantly impact children globally, leading to reduced quality of life and increased healthcare utilization. Despite their prevalence, effective treatments for pediatric DGBIs remain limited. Acupuncture, though commonly used in clinical practice and supported by adult data, lacks robust empirical evidence in pediatric populations. This study addresses this critical gap. The primary objective is to assess the efficacy of acupuncture in reducing symptom severity in pediatric patients with DGBIs. Key secondary objectives include evaluating improvements in quality of life, functional disability, and mental health outcomes. This is a parallel-group, randomized, placebo sham-controlled, participant-blind clinical trial. The study is being conducted in an outpatient pediatric referral center. A total of 96 participants, aged 8-17 years, meeting eligibility criteria for DGBIs will be enrolled. Participants must be medically stable and meet protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either acupuncture or sham acupuncture, alongside standard care. Treatments will occur over a predefined protocol period. Data will be collected at baseline, during treatment, and at specified post-treatment intervals. The primary outcomes will evaluate changes in pain intensity and frequency. Secondary outcomes will include assessments of pain resolution, quality of life, functional disability, and mental health. Statistical analyses will employ rigorous methodologies to ensure reliability and validity of findings.

Key Dates

Start date

Jan 8, 2026

Status verified

Jun 2026

Primary completion

Dec 31, 2027

Completion

Jan 31, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment

96 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Arms

• Experimental: Active
  The active treatment group will receive standardized acupuncture based on a protocol for functional abdominal pain, using seven acupuncture points: ST36 (Zusanli), LV3 (Taichong), REN12 (Zhongwan), PC6 (Neiguan), SP4 (Gongsun), EX-HN (Sishencong), and DU24 (Shenting) using sterile, single-use Seirin needles. Sessions will occur once weekly for eight weeks, each lasting 40 minutes.
• Sham Comparator: Control/Sham
  The control group will receive Park Sham Acupuncture Devices at the same scalp points, designed to mimic the sensation of acupuncture without actual needle insertion. Both groups will continue receiving standard care throughout the study.

Primary Outcome Measure

Adequate Pain Relief: [ Time Frame: Baseline to Weeks 12-14 ]

Central Contacts

• Pari Mokhtari
  (714)509-4264
  [email protected]
• Heidi Joyce
  (714)509-8765
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

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