Could a zap to the ear stop nausea?

NCT ID NCT07632456

Symptom relief Sponsor: Daniel Keszthelyi Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether a mild electrical pulse to the ear (called taVNS) can reduce nausea in 35 healthy adults. Nausea is triggered by a fatty drink given through a tube. Half the group gets the real stimulation, half gets a fake version. Researchers measure nausea and other stomach symptoms using simple 0-100 scales. It's an early, small trial exploring a drug-free approach to nausea.

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 vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) device
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a non-drug way to ease nausea and other stomach discomfort.
What could go wrong: This is a very small, early study in healthy people, not patients. The nausea is lab-induced, so results may not apply to real-world sickness. The effect may be no better than a placebo.

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

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

About 35 people

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

Started

Dec 2025

Expected to finish

Sep 2026

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: * Healthy participants (defined as those without a pre-existing medical comorbidity). * Aged between 18-65 years. * Ability to understand and speak the Dutch language. * BMI between 18 and 25 kg/m2 Exclusion Criteria: * Medical history of chronic or severe diseases affecting the cardiovascular, respiratory, urogenital, gastrointestinal/hepatic, haematologic/immunologic, HEENT (head, ears, eyes, nose, throat), dermatological/connective tissue, musculoskeletal, metabolic/nutritional, endocrine, neurological/psychiatric systems. * A history of major abdominal surgery. * Gastrointestinal complaints. * Any use of medication, especially those affecting gastric motility and nausea, apart from oral contraceptives. * Current or lifetime psychopathology (including PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores \> 10) * Substance abuse, including excessive alcohol consumption (\>20 alcoholic consumptions per week) and the use of recreational drugs. * Smoking. * Pregnancy, lactation, or intention to become pregnant during the study period * Use of devices (e.g., cochlear implants) or other conditions (e.g. wounds, permanent ear-piercing) complicating the use of the tVNS device. * Administration of investigational drugs or participation in any scientific intervention study that might interfere with this study (to be determined by the principal investigator) within 180 days preceding the commencement of the study. * Students and employees of Maastricht University are not precluded from participation, unless they have a direct personal, professional or hierarchical position with regards to any of the study team members or their department.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Nausea

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Healthy adult participants

How to take part

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

The places running it

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

Could a zap to the ear stop nausea?

What the study statuses mean