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A gentle zap to the ear might calm gut pain in teens

NCT ID NCT07798180

Symptom relief Sponsor: Nationwide Children's Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Sep 01, 2026 · Last updated Sep 02, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers are testing a wearable device called Sparrow Link that delivers mild electrical pulses to the ear. The goal is to see if daily use for four weeks can reduce abdominal pain and improve quality of life in teens aged 12 to 18 with gut-brain interaction disorders. Participants wear the device for at least an hour each day and fill out questionnaires about pain, bowel symptoms, anxiety, and daily functioning. This pilot study focuses on whether teens will use the device as directed and whether it appears safe and helpful.

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 neurostimulation using the Sparrow Link wearable device
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a drug-free, at-home option to ease chronic abdominal pain and improve quality of life for teens with gut-brain interaction disorders.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early pilot study with no control group, so results may not prove the device works. Some teens may find the ear stimulation uncomfortable or not feel any 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

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.

Started

Oct 2025

Expected to finish

Oct 2026

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

12 to 18 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: * Age 12-18 years. * Clinical diagnosis of an abdominal pain-related disorder of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) meeting Rome IV criteria. * Average abdominal pain intensity ≥3 on a 0-10 scale and pain on at least 2 days per week. * Proper fit of the Sparrow earpiece on the left ear, as determined by study personnel. Exclusion Criteria: * Medical or psychiatric condition that contraindicates transauricular neurostimulation or creates a safety risk. * Abnormal ear anatomy preventing earpiece placement. * Developmental delay. * Implanted electronic device or hearing aid. * Participation in another interventional trial. * Pregnancy * Unable to communicate in English. * Prisoner. * Change in medications used to treat abdominal pain or gastrointestinal symptoms within 2 weeks before enrollment. Participants must be on stable doses for at least 2 weeks before enrollment.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Abdominal Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Abdominal pain (AP) Disorders of gut-brain interaction

How to take part

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  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

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Nationwide Children's Hospital

    RECRUITING

    Columbus, Ohio, 43205, United States

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