Shocking the pain away: ear device tested for Post-Stroke relief
NCT ID NCT07144436
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether a small, wearable device that stimulates the ear with mild electricity can reduce long-term pain after a stroke. Researchers will enroll 24 adults who have had a stroke at least 6 months ago and still have pain in their upper arm. Participants will use the device at home for 4 weeks, and the team will measure changes in pain sensitivity and tolerance.
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 (tAN) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, at-home way to ease chronic pain after a stroke without drugs.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small early study with only 24 people, so results may not apply to everyone. It's also testing pain thresholds, not real-world pain relief.
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
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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
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About 24 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2026
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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 18-80 * Have the capacity and ability to provide one's own consent in English and sign the informed consent document. * Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke that occurred at least 6 months prior Exclusion Criteria: * Primary intracerebral hematoma or subarachnoid hemorrhage * Documented history of dementia * Documented history of uncontrolled depression or psychiatric disorder * Uncontrolled hypertension despite treatment, specifically SBP (Systolic Blood Pressure) / DBP (Diastolic Blood Pressure) \>=180/100mmHg * Contraindicated for MRI scanning * Pregnancy
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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30 Bee Street
RECRUITINGCharleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States
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Medical University of South Carolia
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGCharleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States
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