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Could a wearable zapper quiet cirrhosis pain without drugs?

NCT ID NCT07820917

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Michigan 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 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 Results may not be published yet.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
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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 15, 2026 · Last updated Sep 17, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

Researchers at the University of Michigan are studying whether a home device called Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation (TEA) can help adults with cirrhosis manage chronic pain. The trial enrolls 100 people who report ongoing pain on most days. Participants use either a real TEA device or a sham device twice daily for eight weeks. The study measures whether people stick with the routine and complete surveys, which will show whether a larger trial is worth doing.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation (TEA), a home device that delivers mild electrical pulses to acupuncture points
What this could lead to
If TEA proves workable and helpful, it could offer people with cirrhosis a drug-free way to manage chronic pain at home.
What could go wrong
This is a small feasibility study, so it mainly tests whether people can stick with the device and complete surveys, not whether pain actually improves. Results may not hold in a larger trial.

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.

Expected to start

Sep 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Sep 2029

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 years and older

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: * Diagnosis of cirrhosis - must meet the criteria as outlined in the protocol * Chronic pain (Patient self-reports ≥ 4 on the 0-10 scale for \>50% of days within 3- months) * Willing to use a Transcutaneous Electrical Acustimulation (TEA) device * Has access to Wi-Fi or a data plan * Has access to a laptop, computer, tablet, or smartphone Exclusion Criteria: * Dementia and/or severe cognitive impairment * Unable or unwilling to provide consent * Expected to undergo liver transplant in next 24 weeks * No email address * Deemed unsuitable by the study investigator * Model for End-Stage Liver Diseas (MELD) score \>25, or total bilirubin \>4.0 in a patient on hemodialysis * Recent hospitalization (\>24 hours) or episode of hepatic encephalopathy within the preceding 30 days * Implanted pacemaker/defibrillator, spinal implant, or cochlear implant * Known allergy to adhesive tape/electrode materials * Current active suicidal ideation, endorsed at screening (see Section 8.6) * Currently pregnant (self-reported)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Chronic Pain chronic pain syndrome cirrhosis of liver Depression Fibrosis

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Cirrhosis

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

  • University of Michigan

    Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States

  • University of Pennsylvania

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

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