Acupuncture and heat-based therapy may improve Parkinson disease symptoms by reshaping gut microbial communities linked to the gut–brain connection.
This prospective observational study compares gut microbial patterns and motor and nonmotor symptoms between people with idiopathic Parkinson disease and healthy participants at baseline. Participants with Parkinson disease receive acupuncture, moxibustion, and intradermal acupuncture twice weekly over twelve weeks, with symptom and gut microbiome assessments conducted before, during, after treatment, and at follow-up. Researchers will examine whether changes in microbial composition correspond with changes in motor and nonmotor symptoms.
The study is designed to provide the first clinical assessment of whether acupuncture and moxibustion alter the gut microbiome in people with Parkinson disease and whether these changes relate to symptom improvement. Its findings may help explain how these therapies act through the gut–brain connection and support their potential role as alternatives or additions to dopamine-based treatment.
