Efficacy of Laser Acupuncture for Idiopathic Bell's Palsy

NCT06280794 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: Laser-Bell-2024
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 336
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Objective: Bell's palsy is characterized by acute, unilateral onset that compromises function and esthetics, exerting a considerable impact on the social, professional, and psychological aspects of the lives of affected individuals. The objective of this study was to determine whether laser acupuncture therapy could relieve symptoms in patients with Bell's palsy in 8 weeks. Methods: This study was randomized controlled trial including 360 patients that undergoing Bell's palsy. All the patients received oral Prednisolone. Patients were assigned to the laser acupuncture (LA) group, Sham LA group and control group, with 120 patients in each group. LA group and Sham LA group were received 4 weeks of Laser treatment (3 times per week). Clinical outcome measure comprised the House-Brackmann grading system, Facial Clinimetric Evaluation Scale (FaCE), Sunnybrook facial grading scale (SBFG), Facial Disability Index (FDI) and Facial Clinimetric Evaluation Scale (FaCE Scale) All the measurements were collected at the baseline, weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24.

Conditions

Bell's Palsy

Keywords

Idiopathic facial paralysis; Bell's palsy; Laser acupuncture; photobiomodulation; RCT

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• House Brackmann Grading System (HB)

  The HB is a physician-rated system based on criteria of resting appearance, facial movements, and synkinesis that categorizes facial function from I (normal) to VI (total paralysis), with options of "Normal", "Mild dysfunction", "Moderate dysfunction", "Moderately severe dysfunction", "Severe dysfunction" or "Total paralysis". The prognoses of grade 3 or higher were abnormal.

  Baseline, weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Sunnybrook Facial Grading Scale (SB Grading)

  Baseline, weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24

• Facial Disability Index (FDI)

  Baseline, weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24

• Facial Clinimetric Evaluation Scale (FaCE Scale)

  Baseline, weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24

Study Arms (3)

Laser acupuncture Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Steroids. Patients in the laser acupuncture group (LA group) received 12 sessions of laser acupuncture (3 times per week). Laser aucpuncture used a class IV Multiwave Locked System (MLS) laser (Mphi laser, ASA Srl, Vicenza, Italy). In LA group, we choose 5 acupoints on the affected side. It includes ST2(Si Bai), ST4(Di Cang), ST6(Jia Che), GB14(Yang Bai), GB20(Feng chi). We choose 6 acupoints, including LI4 (He Gu), LI11(Qu Chi), ST36 (Zu San Li), SP6 (San Yin Jiao), KI3 (Tai Xi), LR3 (Tai Chong). Laser acupuncture used have wavelength of 808 nm and 905nm, 1.2 W power (808nm is 1 W, 905 nm is 200 mW), continuous mode emission (808 nm) and pulsed mode emission (905 nm), 500 Hz, 50% power level, 50% duty cycle, 8.35 J/cm2 dosimetry, 26.22 J for each point, administered for 3 times per week in the first 2 weeks, and 1500 Hz, 50% power level, 50% duty cycle, 8.35 J/cm2 dosimetry, 26.22 J for each point, in the last 2 weeks, 12 times total treatment.

Device: Laser acupuncture; Drug: Steroids

Sham laser acupuncture Group

SHAM COMPARATOR

Steroids. Patients in the laser acupuncture group (LA group) received 12 sessions of laser acupuncture (3 times per week). Laser aucpuncture used a class IV Multiwave Locked System (MLS) laser (Mphi laser, ASA Srl, Vicenza, Italy). In LA group, we choose 5 acupoints on the affected side. It includes ST2(Si Bai), ST4(Di Cang), ST6(Jia Che), GB14(Yang Bai), GB20(Feng chi). We choose 6 acupoints, including LI4 (He Gu), LI11(Qu Chi), ST36 (Zu San Li), SP6 (San Yin Jiao), KI3 (Tai Xi), LR3 (Tai Chong). The Sham LA group received the same laser device and the same acupoints. The device showed the same red light but did not emit a laser, administered for 3 times per week in the 4 weeks.

Device: Laser acupuncture; Drug: Steroids

Control group

OTHER

Steroids.

Drug: Steroids

Interventions

Laser acupuncture DEVICE

Patients in the laser acupuncture group (LA group) received 12 sessions of laser acupuncture (3 times per week). Laser aucpuncture used a class IV Multiwave Locked System (MLS) laser (Mphi laser, ASA Srl, Vicenza, Italy). In LA group, we choose 5 acupoints on the affected side. It includes ST2(Si Bai), ST4(Di Cang), ST6(Jia Che), GB14(Yang Bai), GB20(Feng chi). We choose 6 acupoints, including LI4 (He Gu), LI11(Qu Chi), ST36 (Zu San Li), SP6 (San Yin Jiao), KI3 (Tai Xi), LR3 (Tai Chong). Laser acupuncture used have wavelength of 808 nm and 905nm, 1.2 W power (808nm is 1 W, 905 nm is 200 mW), continuous mode emission (808 nm) and pulsed mode emission (905 nm), 500 Hz, 50% power level, 50% duty cycle, 8.35 J/cm2 dosimetry, 26.22 J for each point, administered for 3 times per week in the first 2 weeks, and 1500 Hz, 50% power level, 50% duty cycle, 8.35 J/cm2 dosimetry, 26.22 J for each point, in the last 2 weeks, 12 times total treatment.

Laser acupuncture Group; Sham laser acupuncture Group

Steroids DRUG

Prednisolone as 5 mg tablets (Tianjin Lisheng Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., China) were given as a single dose of 30 mg daily for the first 3 days; 15 mg daily for the following 3 days; 10 mg daily for the after 3 days; 5 mg daily for the final 3 days, with a total treatment time of 9 days.

Control group; Laser acupuncture Group; Sham laser acupuncture Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• \. Patients diagnosed with idiopathic Bell's Palsy 2.Patients were eligible if they were graded at House-Brackmann grade (HB) 3 or higher.

You may not qualify if:

• \- 1.Serious mental illness or social problems, and neurological disorders, and systemic diseases, such as malignant tumors, and other serious consumptive diseases.
• \. Planning for pregnancy, those in pregnancy, or those who were lactating. 3.Bell's Palsy patients who have a disease course of more than 8 weeks.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Beijing Tongren Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University

Beijing, China

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Bell Palsy

Interventions

Steroids

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Herpesviridae Infections; DNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Infections; Mouth Diseases; Stomatognathic Diseases; Facial Nerve Diseases; Cranial Nerve Diseases; Nervous System Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Fused-Ring Compounds; Polycyclic Compounds

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 20, 2024
• First Posted: February 28, 2024
• Study Start: March 1, 2021
• Primary Completion: January 1, 2026
• Study Completion: February 1, 2026
• Last Updated: November 25, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share

Locations

CN (1)