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Ear zap may tweak insulin – tiny study hopes to unlock vagus nerve secrets

NCT ID NCT06597149

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Indiana University 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Aug 27, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This study tests whether a mild electrical stimulation behind the ear (taVNS) can temporarily change insulin, C-peptide, and blood sugar levels in 30 healthy adults. Half will get real stimulation, half a sham. Researchers want to see if this nerve trick could one day lead to new treatments for diabetes or stomach issues.

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-invasive way to influence insulin and help develop new treatments for diabetes and stomach problems.
What could go wrong
This is a very early, small study in healthy people, not patients. It only looks at short-term changes, so results may not apply to real-world 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 30 people

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

Started

Apr 2025

Expected to finish

May 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 to 70 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 Volunteers * Aged 18-70 * Willing to have ECG electrodes placed on their neck and chest areas. * Willing to have electrodes placed in the external ear. * Willing to have an indwelling catheter placed to avoid multiple sticks for blood draw. Exclusion Criteria: * Unable to provide consent. * Diabetes diagnosis per patient report * Having known allergies to adhesive on electrode pads or bandages * Having gastric motility issues as determined by the PI or clinical coordinator. * Taking any medications that may affect gastric motility or cardiac variability, i.e. alpha or beta blockers for hypertension. * Pregnant females * Those unwilling to have the taVNS device placed in their ear. * Those unwilling to consent to a blood draw. * Prisoners

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As listed by the trial registrant

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

Healthy

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

  • Indiana University Hospital

    RECRUITING

    Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States

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