Gag (Pharyngeal) ReflexAcuGagDiffNCT07664826
Acupuncture Mechanism in Relief of Gag Reflex
A study testing Acupuncture in people with Gag (Pharyngeal) Reflex, run by University Medicine Greifswald at 1 site in Germany.
Trial summary
The gag reflex relief effect of acupuncture of CV24 acupoint will be compared to acupuncture of PC6 and K3 acupoints in healthy volunteers in crossover mode. Second step will be the investigation whether local anesthesia using EMLA creme will block the gag relief effect of CV24 acupuncture in healthy volunteers. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 20 to 40 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Gag (Pharyngeal) Reflex
- What is being tested?
- Acupuncture
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteGermany
- Study dates
- 21 Jan 2026to Aug 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 20 to 40 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Healthy volunteers aged between 20-40 years old with an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status of I to II naïve to acupuncture
- Participants without previous opioid and psychotropic medication
- Without use of recreational drugs 3 days prior to study sessions
- Without systemic disease or local skin lesions at the sites of acupuncture
- Without drug allergy to local anesthetics, especially EMLA preparation
- Participants who have given written informed consent
Who cannot join
- Local skin infection at the sites of acupuncture
- Aged < 20 or > 35 years
- History of drug allergy to local anesthetics
- Participants who are unable to understand the consent form or to use numeric rating scale NRS-11
- Discontinuation Criteria
- Any adverse effects during study session
- In case of local or systemic infection
- In case if subject will withdraw from participation in this study at any time, for any reason, specified or non-specified, and without penalty or loss of benefits
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Germany1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University Medicine of Greifswald
Greifswald, 17475
Taras I Usichenko, Prof. Dr. med., MD, PhD, +49 (0) 3834864028, tarasik@me.com
About this study
Official title: The Mechanism of Acupuncture for Relief of Pharyngeal (Gag) Reflex - an Experimental Crossover Investigation
The gag reflex relief effect of acupuncture of CV24 acupoint will be compared to acupuncture of PC6 and K3 acupoints in healthy volunteers in crossover mode. Second step will be the investigation whether local anesthesia using EMLA creme will block the gag relief effect of CV24 acupuncture in healthy volunteers.
- Conditions
- Gag (Pharyngeal) Reflex
- Being tested
- Acupuncture
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
AcupunctureOther
Needling of acupoints CV24, PC6 and K3
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| CV24 | Experimental | Needling of acupoint PC6 Receives: Other: Acupuncture |
| PC6 | Active comparator | Needling of acupoint PC6 Receives: Other: Acupuncture |
| K3 | Active comparator | Needling of acupoint K3 Receives: Other: Acupuncture |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Length of saliva injector insertion (cm)
Saliva injector is inserted intraoral slowly until the gagging (pharyngeal reflex) is elicited; the length of insertion of saliva injector will be measured in centimeters
Measured: Day 1 ( before and after acupuncture)
Secondary outcomes (1)
Severity of gagging, measured using the Numeric Rating Scale NRS-11 (0=no gagging; 10=maximal)
Measured: Day 1 ( before and after acupuncture)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Jun 2026
- Study start21 Jan 2026
- Primary completionAug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionAug 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Gag (Pharyngeal) ReflexStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Medicine Greifswald
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Taras Usichenko, University Medicine Greifswald
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07664826
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- BB150/25
- Other IDs
- BB150/25
- Acronym
- AcuGagDiff
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 8 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 24 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Corresponding author will share the anonymized, statistically calculated data on request after publication of the results
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Mechanism of Acupuncture for Relief of Pharyngeal (Gag) Reflex - an Experimental Crossover Investigation
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07664826
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- AcuGagDiff / BB150/25
- Conditions
- Gag (Pharyngeal) Reflex
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University Medicine GreifswaldUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 21 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Aug 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 24 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The gag reflex relief effect of acupuncture of CV24 acupoint will be compared to acupuncture of PC6 and K3 acupoints in healthy volunteers in crossover mode. Second step will be the investigation whether local anesthesia using EMLA creme will block the gag relief effect of CV24 acupuncture in healthy volunteers.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| CV24 | Experimental | Other: AcupunctureNeedling of acupoint PC6 |
| PC6 | Active comparator | Other: AcupunctureNeedling of acupoint PC6 |
| K3 | Active comparator | Other: AcupunctureNeedling of acupoint K3 |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 20 to 40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Healthy volunteers aged between 20-40 years old with an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status of I to II naïve to acupuncture
- Participants without previous opioid and psychotropic medication
- Without use of recreational drugs 3 days prior to study sessions
- Without systemic disease or local skin lesions at the sites of acupuncture
- Without drug allergy to local anesthetics, especially EMLA preparation
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Local skin infection at the sites of acupuncture
- Aged < 20 or > 35 years
- History of drug allergy to local anesthetics
- Participants who are unable to understand the consent form or to use numeric rating scale NRS-11
- Discontinuation Criteria
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| AcupunctureNeedling of acupoints CV24, PC6 and K3 | Other | CV24, K3, PC6 |
Primary outcome
Length of saliva injector insertion (cm)
Time frame: Day 1 ( before and after acupuncture)
Saliva injector is inserted intraoral slowly until the gagging (pharyngeal reflex) is elicited; the length of insertion of saliva injector will be measured in centimeters
1 secondary outcome
Severity of gagging, measured using the Numeric Rating Scale NRS-11 (0=no gagging; 10=maximal)
Time frame: Day 1 ( before and after acupuncture)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Corresponding author will share the anonymized, statistically calculated data on request after publication of the results
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Acupuncture in people with Gag (Pharyngeal) Reflex, run by University Medicine Greifswald at 1 site in Germany.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Germany. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Taras I Usichenko, Prof. Dr. med., MD, PhD (+49 (0) 3434864028, tarasik@me.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Length of saliva injector insertion (cm) (time frame: Day 1 ( before and after acupuncture)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 Jun 2026.