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Could a tiny ear device ease autism symptoms?

NCT ID NCT03827941

Symptom relief Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 17, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether a gentle electrical stimulation device worn on the ear can help improve social, communication, and behavioral symptoms in adults with high-functioning autism. Participants use the device at home for 30 minutes a day, up to 5 times a week, for 3 weeks. The trial compares two different stimulation frequencies to see which works better.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
auricular transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (tVNS)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a non-drug, at-home option to help manage core autism symptoms in adults.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with only 40 participants, so results may not apply widely. The treatment is also time-intensive (daily sessions for 3 weeks).

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 40 people

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

Started

Nov 2022

Expected to finish

Sep 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 60 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Autism diagnosed based on DSM-V classification criteria 2. 18-60 year old high functioning adult autism patients (e.g. Asperger's, IQ equal or greater than 80) 3. Subjects who do not show aggressive behaviors based on neuro/psychiatric evaluations as determined by a licensed study physician. Exclusion Criteria: 1. A history of chronic serious infection, any current infection, any type of cancer or autoimmune disease or other severe diseases; 2. Subjects taking any medications that confound the study results

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

autism spectrum disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Autism spectrum disorder

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

  • MGB

    RECRUITING

    Charlestown, Massachusetts, 02129, United States

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