Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Ear zaps may boost brain power in veterans with TBI

NCT ID NCT06723743

Symptom relief Sponsor: Baylor College of Medicine 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tests a non-invasive device that sends mild electrical pulses to the ear to stimulate the vagus nerve. Researchers want to see if it can improve attention and memory in 30 veterans with traumatic brain injury, depression, or PTSD. Participants will try both the real stimulation and a sham (placebo) version in one visit to compare effects.

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 30 people

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

Expected to start

Aug 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Aug 2027

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

25 to 64 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: * Ages 25-64 * Right-handedness * Veterans with a history of deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation New Dawn (OND) or other post 9/11 war on terrorism * History of PTSD and/or depression * Military related mild traumatic brain injury * If taking psychotropic medication, demonstrate stability for 3 months * If taking stimulants, washout period of 12 hours Exclusion Criteria: * History of neurological, cardiovascular, or pulmonary disease * Cardiac arrhythmia (all types) * Active suicidal ideation * Visible wounds on skin of the left ear * Medical implants such as cardiac defibrillators, pacemakers, or deep brain stimulators * Pregnancy * Completed taVNS in the past 4 weeks * Current substance use disorder (exception: mild cannabis use disorder allowed) * Current moderate or severe alcohol use disorder * Major cognitive disorder

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Depression are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Brain Injuries, Traumatic Depression depressive disorder post-traumatic stress disorder traumatic brain injury

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients

How to take part

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

  1. The places running it

    2 sites. 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

  • Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

    RECRUITING

    Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

  • Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

    RECRUITING

    Houston, Texas, 77030, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.