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Ear zaps and stomach maps: a new way to read a misbehaving gut

NCT ID NCT06941545

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Mayo Clinic Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 11, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026

Summary

Mayo Clinic researchers are studying people with functional dyspepsia, a common condition of stomach discomfort with no approved drug therapy. The study uses three tools: a body-surface sensor that maps the stomach's electrical rhythm, a pressure catheter that measures contractions in the stomach and small intestine, and a test of how quickly the stomach empties. Participants also receive brief electrical stimulation through the ear, called transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation, to see how stomach activity responds. The goal is to better understand what goes wrong in dyspepsia and whether ear stimulation might be a safe, noninvasive treatment option.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation, electrical stimulation to the ear
What this could lead to
If the ear stimulation changes stomach activity in a helpful way, it could point toward a noninvasive, low-cost option for people whose dyspepsia has no approved drug treatment.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early study with no control group, so any changes seen may not hold up or may not translate into symptom relief. Ear stimulation can be unsuitable for people with certain heart rhythm problems.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 100 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jul 2025

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 80 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria * Symptoms consistent with functional dyspepsia as defined by the ROME IV criteria for 6 months * Ability to perform appropriate informed consent Exclusion Criteria * Known cardiac arrhythmia or major ECG abnormalities, i.e. cardiac conduction disturbances (2nd or 3rd degree AV block, prolonged QTc interval (\> 460 msec) or bradycardia (\< 45 beats/minute) * Conditions precluding safe use of taVNS * Clinical evidence of significant cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, hepatic, gastrointestinal, hematological, neurological, psychiatric or other disease that may interfere with the objectives of the study and/or pose safety concerns * Use of opioids * Vulnerable study population * Pregnant women

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

dyspepsia

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Dyspepsia

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Mayo Clinic in Rochester

    RECRUITING

    Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States

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