Ear stimulation device shows promise for Ehlers-Danlos relief
NCT ID NCT06105541
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a small, at-home device that stimulates a nerve in the ear can improve symptoms like pain, fatigue, sleep, and mood in people with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS). Twenty-five adults with hEDS used the device daily for two weeks, with some receiving a sham (inactive) version first. The goal was to see if this gentle, non-invasive approach could offer a new way to manage multiple symptoms at once.
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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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25 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2023
- Finished
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Feb 2026
- 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 65 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Participants who meet the 2017 diagnostic criteria for hEDS or HSD4-5 with persistent symptoms in at least two of the domains to be followed during the intervention (pain, fatigue, sleep, anxiety, depression, quality of life, GI function, autonomic function and immune function) * Mentally capable of reading, writing, giving consent, and following instructions Exclusion Criteria: * MRI-contraindicated implanted medical devices; * pregnant * history of seizures * prior history of trauma or damage to ear
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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
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Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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