Effect of Specific Mode Electroacupuncture Stimulation Combined with NGF on Dysphagia After Ischaemic Stroke: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Summary

Ischemic stroke is a common clinical disease, often accompanied by dysphagia. At present, clinical treatment for patients with dysphagia after ischemic stroke is limited. The emergence of NGF has surprised the field of neurorehabilitation, but the clinical effect is not satisfactory. The main problem is that NGF is a macromolecular material with a molecular weight of 13.4 KD, which is difficult to penetrate the blood brain barrier. A large number of previous studies in our team have found that electroacupuncture with specific stimulation mode can open the blood brain barrier and induce NGF into the brain. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of specific mode electroacupuncture stimulation combined with NGF treatment on patients with dysphagia after ischemic stroke and to explore the mechanism of this combination therapy to improve brain function, which creates a new method and theoretical basis for nerve rehabilitation of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Timeline

Start

2024-12

Primary completion

2027-12

Completion

2027-12

Publications

• Background Fu X, Li H, Yang W, Li X, Lu L, Guo H, Guo K, Huang Z. Electroacupuncture at HT5 + GB20 promotes brain remodeling and significantly improves swallowing function in patients with stroke. Front Neurosci. 2023 Nov 2;17:1274419. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1274419. eCollection 2023.
• Background Dai M, Qian K, Ye Q, Yang J, Gan L, Jia Z, Pan Z, Cai Q, Jiang T, Ma C, Lin X. Specific Mode Electroacupuncture Stimulation Mediates the Delivery of NGF Across the Hippocampus Blood-Brain Barrier Through p65-VEGFA-TJs to Improve the Cognitive Function of MCAO/R Convalescent Rats. Mol Neurobiol. 2025 Feb;62(2):1451-1466. doi: 10.1007/s12035-024-04337-8. Epub 2024 Jul 12.
• Background Lin Y, Gan L, Ren L, Ma C, Dai M, Qian K, Ye Q, Lin X. Acupuncture with specific mode electro-stimulation effectively and transiently opens the BBB through Shh signaling pathway. Neuroreport. 2023 Dec 13;34(18):873-886. doi: 10.1097/WNR.0000000000001970. Epub 2023 Nov 8.
• Background Sheng L, Yin L, Peng D, Zhao L. From Best Evidence to Best Practice: Enteral Nutrition from Continuous Nasal Feeding in Stroke Patients. Int J Gen Med. 2020 Oct 22;13:927-936. doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S269393. eCollection 2020.
• Background Zhang H, Park JH, Maharjan S, Park JA, Choi KS, Park H, Jeong Y, Ahn JH, Kim IH, Lee JC, Cho JH, Lee IK, Lee CH, Hwang IK, Kim YM, Suh YG, Won MH, Kwon YG. Sac-1004, a vascular leakage blocker, reduces cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by suppressing blood-brain barrier disruption and inflammation. J Neuroinflammation. 2017 Jun 23;14(1):122. doi: 10.1186/s12974-017-0897-3.
• Background Gutierrez-Fernandez M, Fuentes B, Rodriguez-Frutos B, Ramos-Cejudo J, Vallejo-Cremades MT, Diez-Tejedor E. Trophic factors and cell therapy to stimulate brain repair after ischaemic stroke. J Cell Mol Med. 2012 Oct;16(10):2280-90. doi: 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2012.01575.x.
• Background Barbero P, Busso M, Tinivella M, Artusi CA, De Mercanti S, Cucci A, Veltri A, Avagnina P, Calvo A, Chio' A, Durelli L, Clerico M. Long-term follow-up of ultrasound-guided botulinum toxin-A injections for sialorrhea in neurological dysphagia. J Neurol. 2015 Dec;262(12):2662-7. doi: 10.1007/s00415-015-7894-1. Epub 2015 Sep 26.
• Background Rofes L, Muriana D, Palomeras E, Vilardell N, Palomera E, Alvarez-Berdugo D, Casado V, Clave P. Prevalence, risk factors and complications of oropharyngeal dysphagia in stroke patients: A cohort study. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2018 Mar 23:e13338. doi: 10.1111/nmo.13338. Online ahead of print.
• Background Labeit B, Michou E, Hamdy S, Trapl-Grundschober M, Suntrup-Krueger S, Muhle P, Bath PM, Dziewas R. The assessment of dysphagia after stroke: state of the art and future directions. Lancet Neurol. 2023 Sep;22(9):858-870. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(23)00153-9.
• Yu X, Xuan Z, Jia Z, Niu X, Yan Y, Zhang Y, Lin L, Li J, Ma C, Lin X. Effect of specific mode electroacupuncture stimulation combined with NGF on dysphagia after ischemic stroke: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. Front Neurol. 2026 Mar 18;17:1697292. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2026.1697292. eCollection 2026.

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