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Ear tickling reveals brain secrets in healthy volunteers

NCT ID NCT06825364

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looks at how gentle touch on different parts of the ear affects brain activity in 80 healthy adults. Participants wear a cap with infrared sensors to measure brain signals while a plastic filament gently stimulates points on both ears. The goal is to see if different ear points produce different brain responses, which could inform future research on ear-based therapies.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
auricular stimulation (von Frey filament)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could help map how ear stimulation affects brain activity, potentially guiding future treatments for pain or other conditions.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study in healthy volunteers, not patients. It only measures brain signals, not any treatment effect, so results may not apply to medical conditions.

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 80 people

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

Started

Aug 2025

Expected to finish

Feb 2028

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 years and older

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 of at least 18 years Exclusion Criteria: 1. frequent or chronic pain requiring the use of pain-relieving medications more than twice per week, on average, in the last 3 months, 2. history or symptoms of neuropathy, 3. active lesions or skin disruptions to either ear, 4. recent (\< 3 mo) illicit drug use, 5. history of substance misuse/abuse, 6. current or recent (\<1 month) opioid or marijuana use, and 7. current regular use of psychoactive prescription medications

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As listed by the trial registrant

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

Healthy male and female subjects Healthy volunteer study

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

  • University of Pittsburgh

    RECRUITING

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

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