Zapping or massaging a nerve in the ear might calm your body's stress system

NCT ID NCT07660744

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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 09, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study explores whether non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation — either with a mild electrical pulse on the ear or through manual massage techniques — can change heart rate variability and ease symptoms like fatigue and poor sleep. Researchers will compare two approaches in healthy adults aged 40 to 70 over 10 days. The goal is to see if these simple techniques can shift the body toward a more relaxed, parasympathetic state.

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 vagus nerve stimulation and manual vagus nerve therapy
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a simple, non-invasive way to improve autonomic balance, fatigue, and sleep quality.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early study in healthy volunteers, so results may not apply to people with medical conditions. The effects may be subtle or not clinically meaningful.

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 16 people

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

Expected to start

Oct 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Feb 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

40 to 70 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 volunteers between 40 and 70 years of age. * No known neurological pathology. * Willingness to participate voluntarily in the study. Exclusion criteria: * Cognitive impairment objectively assessed by a neurologist and considered relevant. * Contraindications for the application of transcutaneous auricular stimulation (implanted cardiac pacemaker or deep brain stimulation treatment). * Consumption of tea, caffeine, energy drinks, alcohol or tobacco in the two hours prior to the intervention.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

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

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

As listed by the trial registrant

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

How to take part

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

  1. 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 ↗

  2. 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.

More trials for these conditions

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