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Zapping the vagus nerve while training the brain: a new recipe for sharper aging?

NCT ID NCT04276805

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Florida Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 28, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether pairing a gentle, non-invasive nerve stimulation (tVNS) with daily computer-based cognitive exercises can improve memory and thinking in healthy older adults. Over two weeks, participants receive either active or sham stimulation while doing brain-training tasks. The goal is to see if this combination can help delay or reverse age-related cognitive decline.

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 gently stimulates the vagus nerve through the skin (transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation) paired with web-based cognitive training exercises
What this could lead to
If it works, this approach could point toward a drug-free way to sharpen memory and thinking in healthy older adults.
What could go wrong
This is a very early, small trial with only 45 participants. The nerve stimulation may cause discomfort, and the cognitive benefits, if any, might not be large or lasting.

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

45 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Nov 2020

Finished

Sep 2024

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

65 to 90 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 individuals willing to commit to study requirements Exclusion Criteria: * Neurological disorders to include traumatic brain injury. * Evidence of dementia . * Major psychiatric illness * Unstable and chronic medical conditions. * MRI contraindications (e.g., pregnancy, claustrophobia, metal implants that are contraindicated for MRI). * Physical impairment precluding motor response or lying still or walking * Hearing or vision deficits that will not allow for completion of assessments

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As listed by the trial registrant

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

Aging

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Arizona

    Tucson, Arizona, 85721, United States

  • University of Florida

    Gainesville, Florida, 32610, United States

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