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Ear stimulation may rewire fear responses in PTSD

NCT ID NCT06953388

Disease control Sponsor: Wayne State University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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
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Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 13, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study explores whether a non-invasive device that stimulates the vagus nerve through the ear can help people with PTSD learn to dampen fear responses. Participants will receive either active or sham stimulation while their body reactions (heart rate, sweat, startle) are measured during fear-learning tasks. The goal is to see if this approach reduces anxious arousal and helps the brain unlearn fear associations.

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 vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a drug-free way to help people with PTSD process trauma and reduce fear responses.
What could go wrong
This is a very early, small study (60 people) testing a short-term effect in a lab setting. It may not translate to real-world symptom relief or long-term benefit.

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

About 60 people

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

Expected to start

Apr 2027

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Mar 2031

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: 1. Ages 18-80 2. Fluent in English 3. Experience with a DSM-5 Criterion A trauma (LEC-5) 4. Probable PTSD (PCL-5 ≥ 32) Exclusion Criteria: 1. Visual or Auditory impairment 2. Major injury at time of screen or study procedures 3. Taking ≥20 mg morphine per day 4. Current substance use or intoxication (12-panel drug test) 5. Intellectual disability (MoCA) 6. Self-inflicted injury 7. Occupational injury 8. Prisoner 9. Ongoing domestic violence 10. Pregnant or breastfeeding 11. Contraindications for taVNS

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

combat disorder post-traumatic stress disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder

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

  • Tolan Park Research Clinic, Wayne State University

    Detroit, Michigan, 48201, United States

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