Zapping a nerve in the ear might boost motivation and reduce anxiety
NCT ID NCT07476469
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether mild electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve (via the ear) can change how people learn from rewards and avoid threats. About 104 participants with high anxiety, high anhedonia, or both will play VR foraging tasks and brain-scan games. The goal is to understand the brain mechanisms behind these symptoms, not to provide a treatment.
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 (tVNS) device
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward new ways to treat anhedonia and anxiety by using nerve stimulation to improve reward-seeking behavior.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study in healthy volunteers and people with symptoms, not a treatment trial. It may not lead to any direct therapy, and results may not apply to all patients.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
RECRUITINGBonn, 53127, Germany
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