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Can zapping the ear during a nap boost memory?

NCT ID NCT04021797

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco 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
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 Results may not be published yet.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 This study
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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 16, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco are studying whether stimulating the vagus nerve through the ear during a nap can improve memory. The trial enrolls healthy adults aged 18 to 64 who nap regularly. Participants receive either active stimulation or a sham (inactive) stimulation while they sleep, and researchers measure heart activity and brain waves to see how the nervous system responds and whether memory for word pairs changes afterward.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation
What this could lead to
If vagal stimulation during sleep improves memory, it could point toward simple, non-invasive ways to support memory and cognitive health.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early study in healthy adults. The stimulation may not change memory or sleep, and results might not apply to people with sleep problems or memory conditions.

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

12 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Oct 2019

Finished

Mar 2020

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 64 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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: * Healthy, adult volunteers between the ages of 18-64. * English speaking * Self-reported napping Exclusion Criteria: * Aged greater than 64 years * Lack of adherence to sleep/wake schedule of at least 7 hours a night for 5-days prior to study and during study timeline. * Body mass index of 35 or above * Presence of any clinical sleep disorder, including insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) * Presence of medical or psychiatric condition that is likely to affect sleep/wake function or cardiovascular functioning, including doctor diagnosed arrhythmia, bradycardia, hypertension, congestive heart failure, major depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder. * Medication use that is likely to affect sleep/wake function or cardiovascular functioning, including antidepressants, anxiolytic or soporific medication, and beta-blockers. * Pregnancy * Epilepsy * head trauma * alcoholism * migraines * metal pieces in the body (may confound tVNS delivery) * history of substance abuse

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

sleep disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

MEMORY Sleep

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute

    San Francisco, California, 94143, United States

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