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Zapping the ear may calm the eye
NCT ID NCT07831876
First seen Sep 21, 2026 · Last updated Sep 21, 2026
Summary
Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are testing whether a device that delivers mild electrical pulses to a nerve in the ear can reduce inflammation inside the eye. The study enrolls 20 adults with inflammatory eye conditions, such as fluid buildup under the retina or surface inflammation. Participants receive the stimulation through the Cymbathera One System, and doctors track changes in eye exams to see if the treatment helps.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- a device that delivers mild electrical stimulation to a nerve in the ear
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a drug-free way to calm eye inflammation, possibly reducing the need for steroids or other immune-suppressing medicines.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study of 20 people, so it may not show a clear benefit or may not work for everyone. The device could cause discomfort or skin irritation at the ear, and any eye inflammation relief might be temporary.
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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Phase 1
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
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About 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2026
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2028
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 years and older
- 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 years * Ocular inflammatory condition-specifically, at least 1 eye with intra/subretinal fluid or both eyes with an inflammatory ocular surface condition * Able to attend all study visits at approximately the same time of day (within a 3-h window) For participants in the intra/subretinal fluid group: * The presence of a natural crystalline lens or intraocular lens * Pupils that can dilate to at least 3 mm in the study eye(s) * The absence of opaque natural crystalline lenses or the presence of any ocular disease that prevents the view of the retina for imaging Exclusion Criteria: * Having or exhibiting any of the following: * Evidence of active infection * Chronically implanted electronic medical device, including pacemakers, defibrillators, cochlear implants, spinal stimulators, and vagus nerve stimulators * Evidence of any skin condition at the stimulation site * Untreated or poorly controlled psychiatric illness * Evidence of significant neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, seizure, stroke, and dementia * Low blood pressure, bradycardia, or hypoglycemia * History of bleeding disorders, including sickle cell anemia, anemia syndromes, monocytosis, and thrombocytopenia * History of vagotomy * History of partial or complete splenectomy * History of HIV infection or AIDS * History of recurrent vasovagal syncope episodes * Receipt of any of the following medications within 1 week of the first visit: * Anticholinergic (Benadryl) * Antihypertensive (α-methyldopa) * Epinephrine-related drugs, norepinephrine-related drugs, and drugs that stimulate release of epinephrine and/or norepinephrine (Micronefrin, Asthmanefrin) * Alpha and/or beta adrenoceptor blocking agents * Antiseizure medications * Other medications, supplements, etc. that may interfere with the study results * Substance abuse (alcoholism or other) problem * Consumption of alcohol within 1 day of a study visit * Currently using or have used recreational drugs, tobacco, and/or nicotine products within 1 week of the first visit
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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
7 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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Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen (Consent Only)
RECRUITINGMontvale, New Jersey, 07645, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (All Protocol Activites)
RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10065, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center @ Nassau (Consent only)
RECRUITINGUniondale, New York, 11553, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center @ Suffolk-Commack (Consent only)
RECRUITINGCommack, New York, 11725, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth (Consent only)
RECRUITINGMiddletown, New Jersey, 07748, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester (Consent Only)
RECRUITINGHarrison, New York, 10604, United States
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Memorial Sloan Kettering at Basking Ridge (Consent Only)
RECRUITINGBasking Ridge, New Jersey, 07920, United States
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