Electroacupuncture-Induced Changes in Tongue Features in Early Stroke Patients Using ZMT-1A Imaging System

This prospective clinical study aims to evaluate changes in tongue characteristics before and after a four-week course of electroacupuncture in patients undergoing early rehabilitation following ischemic stroke. Electroacupuncture is widely used in Vietnam as part of traditional medicine-based stroke rehabilitation, yet few studies have objectively quantified its effects on tongue diagnosis. The study uses the ZMT-1A Tongue Imaging System, an automated diagnostic tool developed in China and currently used at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City. The system enables standardized tongue image acquisition and analysis of key features such as tongue body color, tongue shape, coating color, and coating texture. A total of 385 participants with confirmed ischemic stroke in the early recovery stage (from day 2 to 3 months post-stroke) will be recruited from three hospitals. Each participant will receive electroacupuncture treatment according to standardized protocols for 4 weeks. Tongue images will be collected before and after the intervention. The primary outcome is the change in tongue characteristics. Secondary outcomes include changes in functional status as measured by the Barthel Index and the correlation between tongue changes and functional improvement. This study aims to provide evidence for the clinical relevance of tongue diagnosis in stroke rehabilitation and to explore its role in monitoring treatment response to electroacupuncture.