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Ear zaps for a sharper mind? scientists test nerve stimulation on thinking skills

NCT ID NCT07256080

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Bahçeşehir University 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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 tests whether a mild electrical pulse to the ear (called taVNS) can temporarily improve thinking skills like attention and memory in healthy adults aged 18-30. Each of the 60 participants will receive both the real stimulation and a fake (sham) version in separate sessions, so researchers can compare the effects. The study also looks at whether men and women respond differently to the stimulation.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) device
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a non-drug way to temporarily sharpen attention or memory in healthy people.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study in healthy volunteers, not patients. The effects may be tiny or not real, and results may not apply to people with health 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 60 people

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

Expected to start

Dec 2025

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

May 2026

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 30 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 young adults aged 18-30 years * Ability to provide informed consent * Right-handed participants (to reduce variability in cognitive performance) * Normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing * Female participants tested during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (days 5-10) to minimize hormonal effects on cognition and vagal tone Exclusion Criteria: * History of neurological or psychiatric disorders * Cardiovascular disease * Use of psychoactive medications * Substance dependence, including alcohol, illicit drugs, or nicotine * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Skin conditions or ear anomalies that interfere with electrode placement * Metal implants in the head or neck region * History of epilepsy or migraine

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

cognitive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Cognition Cognitive assessment Executive functions Healthy participants Neuromodulation Sex differences TAVNS Vagus nerve stimulation

How to take part

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  1. 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 ↗

  2. A doctor treating you

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More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.