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Can a neck device dial down pain by zapping the vagus nerve?

NCT ID NCT07827690

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: David A. Purger 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026

Summary

Researchers are testing whether stimulating the vagus nerve through the skin of the neck changes how much acute pain healthy adults feel. About 20 adults wear a cap that records the brain's electrical signals while they place their hands in cold water up to three times. Each person experiences no stimulation, real stimulation, and a sham version placed nearby, without knowing which is which. The team compares pain ratings and brain activity across the three conditions.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation, a device placed on the neck skin
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a drug-free way to turn down acute pain using a device on the skin, without surgery or implants.
What could go wrong
The study is small, with about 20 healthy adults, and a cold-water test in a lab may not reflect real-world pain. Sham stimulation can also create a placebo effect that hides any true 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 20 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

Jan 2028

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 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: * Adults aged 18 to 70 years * Healthy, defined as having no history of chronic medical, neurological, or psychiatric conditions * Not currently experiencing acute illness or chronic pain * Not currently taking medications that influence the nervous system or pain sensitivity * Willing and able to provide written informed consent in English Exclusion Criteria: * History of vagal or vasovagal symptoms * Respiratory distress * Cardiac arrhythmia * Sleep apnea * Pregnancy * Substance abuse * Primary psychiatric disorder * Prior vagus nerve stimulation or any implanted medical device * Significant acute or chronic neurologic illness that, in the judgment of the Principal Investigator, could compromise participant safety, limit the ability to complete the study, or compromise the objectives of the study

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Acute Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Acute pain Healthy adult participants Pain perception

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

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  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

  • IU Health Neuroscience Center

    Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States

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