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Behavioural Intervention

Acupuncture for Gulf War Syndrome (CARE Trial)

N/A
Waitlist Available
Research Sponsored by University of Utah
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Deployed to the Gulf Theater of operations between August 1990 and the present date
Be older than 18 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up 6 months
Awards & highlights
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial will test the effects of personalized acupuncture treatments on veterans with Gulf War Illness. The veterans will be split into two groups: one group will receive biweekly acupuncture treatments for six months, while

Who is the study for?
This trial is for veterans with Gulf War Illness, a condition affecting those who served in the Persian Gulf War. It includes chronic symptoms like fatigue and pain. Participants should have these symptoms but not other conditions like Klinefelter or Triple X Syndrome.
What is being tested?
The study tests acupuncture's effectiveness on Gulf War Illness symptoms. Two groups of participants will receive treatments from experienced acupuncturists: one gets biweekly sessions for six months, the other starts with a two-month wait then weekly sessions.
What are the potential side effects?
Acupuncture may cause minor side effects such as soreness, minor bleeding or bruising at needle sites, dizziness, and relaxation effects post-treatment.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
Select...
I served in the Gulf region from August 1990 to now.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~6 months
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 6 months for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
SF-36P
Other study objectives
Blood Draw
Heart rate variability (HRV)
McGill Pain Scale

Side effects data

From 2013 Phase 1 & 2 trial • 104 Patients • NCT01305811
2%
Serious unexpected
2%
Pain on needling
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Study treatment Arm
Bi-Weekly Acupuncture
Wait List

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group
All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Bi-weekly acupuncture treatmentExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Bi-weekly acupuncture treatment
Group II: Wait listActive Control1 Intervention
Wait list for 2 months followed by weekly acupuncture for 4 months
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Acupuncture
2011
Completed Phase 3
~1240

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

United States Department of DefenseFED
916 Previous Clinical Trials
334,517 Total Patients Enrolled
University of California, BerkeleyOTHER
187 Previous Clinical Trials
640,776 Total Patients Enrolled
University of UtahLead Sponsor
1,147 Previous Clinical Trials
1,699,421 Total Patients Enrolled
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterOTHER
861 Previous Clinical Trials
12,932,626 Total Patients Enrolled
~133 spots leftby Sep 2026
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