NCT07061340 · NOT YET RECRUITING
The Effect of Therapeutic Touch on Agitation, Pain, and Cortisol Levels in Intensive Care Patients
This trial is testing whether therapeutic touch — a hands-on complementary therapy applied to energy points on the body — can reduce agitation, pain, and stress hormone (cortisol) levels in ICU patients. Researchers will compare 30 patients who receive the touch sessions to 30 who do not, measuring outcomes before and after each session. This is a Phase NA behavioral study, meaning it is evaluating a non-drug technique rather than a medication.
You may qualify if
- Adults aged 18 years and above.
- Patients who can communicate verbally.
- Patients who have been monitored in the intensive care unit for at least 4 days.
- Patients who are able to give informed consent.
- Patients who are hemodynamically stable.
- Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale 1 and above.
- Visual Analog Scale 1 and above.
You're excluded if
- Patients under deep sedation.
- Patients on mechanical ventilation.
- Patients with psychiatric problems.
- Patients with skin diseases or open wounds, infections, burns that would prevent therapeutic touch.
- Patients using sedative/analgesic drugs (excessive sedation or delirium).
- Patients using corticosteroids or drugs that affect adrenal hormone levels (because these drugs can affect cortisol measurements).
- Patients who have sudden life-threatening clinical changes during intensive care (e.g. sudden cardiac arrest, shock).
The sponsor's own eligibility wording, lightly reformatted. The study team makes the final eligibility decision — worth discussing with your doctor.
Eligibility criteria as of 2025-11-17