NCT06813274

Multicenter RCT of Eye-Brain Imaging in Diabetes Neurovascular Coupling

Multicenter, Double Blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial to Exploring the Role of Eye-Brain Multimodal Imaging in Diagnosing and Treating Neurovascular Coupling Impairment in Diabetes Mellitus

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 160 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Hejiang Ye · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study intends to take the critical pathological mechanism of diabetic neurovascular coupling injury (NCI) as the starting point and utilize multi-modal imaging (MMI) technology of the eyes and brain as a means to conduct in-depth, integrated, and interdisciplinary research with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome studies. The aim is to establish diagnostic and therapeutic standards for diabetic NCI, based on Eye-Brain Multimodal Imaging technology, providing objective and quantitative evidence for early disease diagnosis and therapeutic effect evaluation. Simultaneously, investigators will conduct multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trials to systematically investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of Tangshen'an Granule in preventing and treating diabetic NCI. By obtaining high-quality evidence-based data on TCM, this study aims to enhance the level of prevention and treatment with TCM and clinical service capabilities, thereby providing new ideas and directions for research.

Detailed description

Diabetes mellitus(DM) is a prevalent condition that often leads to neurovascular coupling impairment (NCI), which has been shown to be intimately associated with diabetic retinopathy and cognitive decline. Given the critical need for early diagnosis and effective treatment, eye-brain multimodal imaging(MMI) technology has emerged as a promising tool in this field. This study focuses on establishing a comprehensive and standardized approach for diagnosing and treating diabetic NCI through the utilization of eye-brain MMI technology accompanied by assessing the effectiveness and potential therapeutic benefits of the traditional Chinese medicine compound, Tangshen'an Granule, in the management of diabetic NCI. A pool of standard diagnostic and therapeutic entries for diabetic NCI syndromes using eye-brain MMI technology is planned to be established through database retrieval and refined by expert questionnaire surveys to formulate the relevant standards. A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical evaluation study of Tangshen'an Granules in treating diabetic NCI (kidney deficiency and blood stasis syndrome) patients from specific hospitals will be conducted. Diagnostic criteria involve diabetes diagnosis and specific requirements of multiple eye-brain imaging and cognitive assessment tools. Eligibility criteria include inclusion and exclusion conditions. Randomization and blinding are properly implemented. The intervention includes basic therapy with different drug administrations in the experimental and control groups. The trial lasts 24 weeks. Primary outcomes are evaluated by various eye-brain imaging and cognitive assessment means. Secondary outcomes involve TCM symptom scores, glycemic indicators, and quality of life questionnaire. Safety indicators are monitored. Data is analyzed using Intent-To-Treat (ITT) analysis. The study protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine(ethical approval number:2023KL-056). Informed consent is planned to be obtained from all participants. The study results will be reported in academic meetings and peer-reviewed journals to promote the development of diagnostic and treatment standards for diabetic NCI.

Conditions

• Diabetes Mellitus
• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Cognitive Impairment
• Neurovascular Coupling

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	hypoglycemic treatment	The diabetes management adheres to the "The 2025 Guidelines for Standards of Diabetes Care" issued by the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
DRUG	Tangshen'an Granules	Tangshen'an Granules comprises a meticulously blended mix of Astragalus, Prepared Rehmannia Root, Dodder Seed, Kudzu Root, Millettia Speciosa Champ, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Poria Cocos, and Polygala Tenuifolia. Tangshen'an Granules is administered at a dosage of 9g, dissolved in boiling water, and taken three times daily.
DRUG	Ginkgo Leaf Tablets	The primary active ingredients of Ginkgo Leaf Tablets are ginkgo flavonoid glycosides and terpene lactones. The prescribed oral dosage is one tablet each time, administered three times a day.
DRUG	Mecobalamin Tablets	Mecobalamin Tablets primarily contain mecobalamin, which is a coenzyme-active form of vitamin B12. The prescribed oral dosage is 0.5mg, administered three times a day.
DRUG	placebo	The placebo contains 10% of the active ingredients in Tangshen'an Granules, formulated by controlling the concentration to mimic Tangshen'an Granules. The placebo is administered at a dosage of 9g, dissolved in boiling water, and taken three times daily.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-01-01
• Primary completion: 2026-11-01
• Completion: 2026-12-01
• First posted: 2025-02-06
• Last updated: 2025-09-26

Locations

3 sites across 1 country: China