Could a neck device shield lungs after brain trauma?
NCT ID NCT04935697
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tested a non-invasive device that stimulates the vagus nerve (nVNS) in patients hospitalized with mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury. The goal was to see if adding nVNS to standard care could prevent severe lung inflammation and the need for a breathing machine. Only 3 people took part, so the results are very preliminary.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) device (gammaCore Sapphire S)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a way to prevent serious lung complications after a traumatic brain injury.
- What could go wrong
- This was a very small pilot study with only 3 participants, so results are not reliable. Larger trials are needed to know if it really helps.
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
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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
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3 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2021
- Finished
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Mar 2025
- Lead sponsor
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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
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12 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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. Patient is between 12-80 years, inclusive 2. Patient has been admitted to the hospital for mild-to-moderate TBI that is restricted to the head and/or neck region. 3. Patient is not on invasive mechanical ventilation 4. Patient has a mild-to-moderate TBI based on a non-resuscitated or post-resuscitated Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) sum score of =\>12 5. Patient has a Lung Injury Prediction Score (LIPS) of =\>2 6. Administration of the first nVNS treatment must be planned to take place within 24 h of intake 7. A signed, written informed consent form from the patient or legally authorized representative Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patient has a diagnosis of moderate or greater grade of respiratory distress/ARDS according to the Berlin definition of ARDS: Partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) /Fraction of Inspired Oxygen (FiO2) \> 100 mmHg (\>13.3 kPa) to ≤ 200 mmHg (≤ 26.6 kPa) with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) ≥ 5 cmH2O) 2. Woman known to be pregnant, lactating or with a positive (urine or serum test) or indeterminate (serum test) pregnancy test 3. Patient simultaneously taking part in another clinical trial 4. Patient is not expected to survive for 24 hours 5. Patient has an underlying clinical condition where, in the opinion of the study physicians and the institutional health provider physician, it would be extremely unlikely that the patient would not progress to invasive mechanical ventilation within 48 hours or any other condition that might require immediate invasive mechanical ventilation (e.g. motor neuron disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or rapidly-progressive interstitial pulmonary fibrosis) 6. Patient has severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) requiring long-term home oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation (non-invasive ventilation or via tracheotomy) except for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or bi-level positive airway pressure (BIPAP) used solely for sleep-disorder breathing 7. Patient has congestive heart failure 8. Patient has acute left ventricular failure 9. Patient has liver failure (Child-Pugh grade C) 10. Patient is receiving renal dialysis therapy for chronic renal failure 11. Patient is receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) or any form of extracorporeal lung support 12. Patient has had any form of mechanical ventilation (invasive or non-invasive, excluding CPAP alone) for longer than 48 h prior to the diagnosis of mild-to-moderate respiratory distress/ARDS 13. Patient has burns to ≥ 15% of their total body surface area
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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AHN Allegheny General Hospital
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15212, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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