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Nicotine gum may restore aging hearing — a Brain-Scan trial puts it to the test

NCT ID NCT05018117

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of California, Berkeley Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 24, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026

Summary

This early-phase trial investigates whether nicotine gum can improve how the aging brain processes sounds, especially in noisy settings. Researchers will use fMRI to measure brain responses to different tones in healthy non-smokers, comparing younger and older adults. The goal is to see if nicotine can compensate for age-related loss of inhibitory neurons in the auditory cortex and potentially sharpen hearing.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
nicotine gum (over-the-counter)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a non-prescription approach to improve hearing in noisy environments for older adults.
What could go wrong
This is a very early, small study in healthy non-smokers. Nicotine is addictive and has cardiovascular risks, so it may not be safe or effective for long-term hearing help.

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

Early phase 1

The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.

Participants

44 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jun 2022

Finished

Apr 2025

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 85 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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: * non-smokers with a score of 0-2 out of 10 maximum on the Fagerström index of smoking dependency Exclusion Criteria: * deafness or excessive hearing loss * smokers with a score between 3 and 10 on the Fagerström index of smoking dependency * history of psychiatric illness, neurological disorders, diabetes mellitus, renal failure, or cardiovascular disease * regular use of prescription medications (excluding oral contraceptives) * drug dependency

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As listed by the trial registrant

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

Aging

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of California, Berkeley

    Berkeley, California, 94720, United States

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