Auricular stimulation therapy for mild cognitive impairment: protocol for a clinical practice guideline development

Objectives: Develop a CPG for auricular stimulation therapy in MCI, and comprehensively discuss the definition of auricular stimulation therapy, its unique therapeutic characteristics, and feasible recommendations. Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a prevalent neurodegenerative condition marked by diminished cognitive abilities, representing an intermediary stage between typical aging and dementia. Auricular stimulation therapy has shown efficacy in treating MCI with minimal side effects. The absence of established protocols for the application of Auricular stimulation in MCI treatment underscores the necessity for the development of clinical practice guideline (CPG). Methods: This study will utilize the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system and the World Health Organization (WHO) handbook for guideline development to evaluate the quality of evidence and formulate recommendations. The guideline will be constructed with consideration of the Assessment of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) and the Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare (RIGHT). A working group will be convened to formulate relevant research questions using the Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) framework and conduct an extensive literature review. In the absence of empirical data from clinical research, the ultimate quality of evidence will be ascertained through a synthesis of expert consensus, findings from historical Chinese medical texts, and information from contemporary medical literature. The evidence will be consolidated and a consensus will be achieved through multiple iterations of the Delphi method. The guideline will undergo peer review. Furthermore, patients’ values and preferences will be taken into consideration. Results: As of April 2025, the guideline working group has been established. The guideline has been officially registered and has passed the project approval review. The guideline has completed the preliminary literature pre-examination. A total of 624 electronic questionnaires constructed for clinical issues have been distributed and collected, and it has been determined that all 10 clinical issues will be included. It is expected that the guideline will be released in December 2025. Conclusion: This CPG will combine evidence-based evidence with expert opinions to formulate recommendations for the most important issues that have a significant impact on clinical decision-making and the most controversial issues, providing a reference for the whole-process clinical management of auricular stimulation therapy for MCI.