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taVNS in Veterans With Knee OA (AVAHCS)

NCT07804199 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 40

Last updated 2026-09-04

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The objectives of this study are to identify an optimal transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) dosing regimen for pain relief and anti-inflammatory effects in Veterans with knee osteoarthritis (OA), compared to corticosteroid injection (CSI), and lay the groundwork for future combinatorial therapies with cell-based approaches. The population for this study is Veterans with osteoarthritis (OA). This single-center, randomized pilot study will enroll participants with knee OA, who will be allocated to CSI (n=10), high-dose taVNS (n=15; 1-2 hours/day, 7 days/week), or low-dose taVNS (n=15; 30-60 min/day, 3 days/week) for 12 weeks. Synovial fluid and blood samples will be collected at baseline, 4, and 12 weeks for biomarker analysis (pro-inflammatory cytokines: TNF-, IL-6, IL-1 ; anti-inflammatory mediators: IL-10, TGF-). The approximate study duration for each individual participant is 12 weeks of treatment with assessment visits at baseline, one month, and three months. Participants will be recruited at the Atlanta VA. The anticipated total enrollment is 40 participants. No specimens or data will be banked for future research use. Informed consent will be obtained from participants in person via signatures on written informed consent forms.

Conditions

Interventions

DRUG

Methylprednisolone acetate

FDA-approved injection treatment applied to the knee for purposes of KOA pain management.

DEVICE

taVNS

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a self-administered, home-based, non-invasive therapy with minimal risk of side effects. Mechanistically, taVNS targets auricular vagal afferents and requires afferent signaling to the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) to activate downstream efferent pathways in the central nervous system, including higher brain regions involved in pain processing (Fig 1), exerting anti-nociceptive effects.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • VA Office of Research and Development

    lead FED

Principal Investigators

  • Anna Woodbury, MD · Atlanta VA Medical and Rehab Center, Decatur, GA

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
45 Years
Max Age
75 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-10-01
Primary Completion
2028-01-01
Completion
2028-01-01
FDA Device
Yes

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

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 NCT07804199 on ClinicalTrials.gov