Evaluating Acupuncture Points With Scanning Kelvin Probe

Suspended

• Conditions: Healthy Individuals; Acupuncture Points; Electrical Potential
• Interventions: Other: not applicable in this study

• Registration Number: NCT01545960
• Lead Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to characterize the surface electrical potential of acupuncture points with a Scanning Kelvin Probe.

Detailed Description

Acupuncture points are anatomical structures described by traditional Chinese medicine. To this day, however, their scientific and Western anatomical characterizations remain unclear. Past studies have suggested that acupuncture points are distinct electrically (increased electrical conductivity). To evaluate this claim, this study uses a Scanning Kelvin Probe to study the electrical potential of three acupuncture points and their respective adjacent controls in 24 healthy individuals. The Scanning Kelvin Probe is a novel device that measures the electrical potential of skin without actually touching the skin surface.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2011-08
• Status Verified: 2012-03
• Study First Submitted: 2012-03-02
• Study First Submitted QC: 2012-03-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2012-03-02
• Study First Posted: 2012-03-07
• Last Update Posted: 2012-03-07
• Primary Completion: 2012-08
• Study Completion: 2012-08

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: SUSPENDED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 24

Inclusion Criteria

• Individuals without chronic medical condition requiring daily medications (hypertension, diabetes, hypothyroidism, etc).

Exclusion Criteria

• Individuals with autonomic disorders (sweating irregularities), skin disorders, extensive burns/scars on the hand, tremors, neuromuscular conditions, restless leg syndrome, movement disorders, and implanted cardiac defibrillator/pacemaker

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Healthy Volunteers	not applicable in this study	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Electrical Potential at Acupuncture points	One day	Scanning Kelvin Probe measurements of electrical potentials at 3 predetermined acupuncture points.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Massachusetts General Hospital - Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging; 🇺🇸 Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States