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Can a zap on the ear unlock the body's own pain relief?

NCT ID NCT05490134

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This study in 136 healthy adults tests whether a 30-minute nerve stimulation on the ear (tAN) reduces pain by releasing the body's natural opioids. Half the participants get a drug (naloxone) that blocks opioid effects, while the other half get a placebo. By comparing pain thresholds, researchers can see if the nerve stimulation works through the opioid system. The goal is to understand how this non-drug pain relief works, not to treat any disease.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
naloxone
What this could lead to
If it works, this could clarify how nerve stimulation reduces pain, potentially leading to better non-drug pain treatments.
What could go wrong
This is a very early, small study in healthy people, not patients. It only measures pain thresholds in a lab, 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

Early phase 1

The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.

Participants

About 136 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Mar 2023

Expected to finish

Oct 2027

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 65 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: * Age 18-65 * Have the capacity and ability to provide one's own consent and sign the informed consent document Exclusion Criteria: * Contraindicated for MRI. * Any current or recent untreated medical, neurological, or psychiatric conditions * Metal implant devices in the head, heart or neck. * History of brain surgery. * History of myocardial infarction or arrhythmia, bradycardia. * Personal or family history of seizure or epilepsy or personal use of medications that substantially reduce seizure threshold (e.g., olanzapine, chlorpromazine, lithium). * Personal history of head injury, concussion, or self-report of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. * Individuals suffering from frequent/severe headaches. * Individuals with a reported history of psychosis or mania, or individuals who are actively manic or psychotic. * Regular or recent pain medication use * Moderate to severe alcohol or substance use disorder. * Psychotropic or cardiac medicines that may interact with naloxone * Positive urine drug screen for opiate use * Females who are pregnant or lactating

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

agnosia pain agnosia

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Analgesia

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  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

    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

  • Medical University of South Carolina

    RECRUITING

    Charleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States

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