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Understanding Non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation Effects in PTSD

NCT06953388 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: PHASE1 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 60

Last updated 2025-05-18

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The goal of this study is to determine how non-invasive brain stimulation (delivered through the ear called vagus nerve stimulation) affects fear learning processes in people who have experienced psychological trauma. To answer these questions, we measure bodily responses (heart rate, sweat, startle) and questionnaires. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation help reduce anxious arousal? Does non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation help dampen learned fear?

Conditions

  • PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Interventions

DEVICE

transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation

FDA-cleared Digitimer DS7A Constant Current Stimulator (Digitimer Ltd., USA) will deliver electrical stimulation for 60 mins. Active stimulation will consist of direct electrical stimulation to the inner side of the left tragus (anode on the cymba concha, cathode on the surface of the tragus), thereby stimulating the ABVN. Stimulation parameters will consist of 500μs pulse width, 25Hz frequency, delivered at 200% of each participant's individual perceptual threshold (PT) in 60sec on/off trains.

DEVICE

sham transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation

FDA-cleared Digitimer DS7A Constant Current Stimulator (Digitimer Ltd., USA) will deliver electrical stimulation for 60 mins. Sham will be delivered to the ear lobe. Stimulation parameters will consist of 500μs pulse width, 25Hz frequency, delivered at 200% of each participant's individual perceptual threshold (PT) in 60sec on/off trains.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Wayne State University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
80 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-02-01
Primary Completion
2031-01-01
Completion
2032-12-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06953388 on ClinicalTrials.gov