Could a simple ear device ease Parkinson's symptoms?
NCT ID NCT06642454
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a non-invasive device that stimulates a nerve in the ear to see if it can improve movement, mood, sleep, and motivation in people with Parkinson's disease. Thirty participants will try three different stimulation patterns over several weeks. The goal is to find the safest and most effective way to use this device for symptom relief.
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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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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2024
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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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40 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age: 40 years or older. * Confirmed diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) per the United Kingdom Brain Bank Criteria by a neurologist specialized in movement disorders. * Participants must be on a stable dose of all medications for at least 2 weeks, with no planned adjustments to anti-PD medications for the next 3 months. * In the second version of the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS-2) for Parkinson's disease, a score of ≥1 is assigned to either question 4 or question 8. * Participants must be in good mental health and capable of completing behavioral tests and transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation. Exclusion Criteria: * Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score \<24. * History of head injury, stroke, or other neurological disorders. * Includes implanted cardiac pacemakers post-DBS operation, local infections, ear loss, or metal implants at the stimulation site. * Current use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or corticosteroids. * Inability to complete follow-up assessments.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Cognitive Neuropsychology Lab Anhui Medical University
Hefei, Anhui, 230022, China
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Cognitive Neuropsychology Lab Anhui Medical University
Hefei, Anhui, China
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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