Music therapy device shows promise for PTSD in small pilot study
NCT ID NCT04999852
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tested the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), a device that plays filtered music through an app to stimulate the vagus nerve, in 45 therapy clients with PTSD and anxiety. Participants used the SSP alongside their regular therapy and completed questionnaires about their symptoms before, during, and after the intervention. The goal was to see if the SSP could help reduce PTSD and anxiety symptoms, and to prepare for a larger, more rigorous trial.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) - a non-invasive device that plays filtered music through an app to stimulate the vagus nerve
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, drug-free way to help people with PTSD and anxiety feel calmer and more regulated.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 45 people, no randomization, and no control group for the SSP. Results may not apply to everyone, and the device is not yet proven effective.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Spencer Psychology
Bloomington, Indiana, 47403, United States
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