Ear zaps and pupil dilation: a window into brain learning?
NCT ID NCT05386563
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a gentle electrical stimulation on the ear (taVNS) changes how the pupil reacts and how quickly people learn a simple task. Twelve healthy adults completed computer-based tasks while their pupil size and brain activity were recorded. The goal was to understand the body's response to the stimulation, not to treat any disease.
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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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12 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2022
- Finished
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Jul 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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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * Healthy individuals 18 to 65 * Normal audiometric testing Exclusion Criteria: * Co-morbidities including cardiomyopathies, arrhythmias * Implantable devices including vagal stimulators, pacemakers * Presence of metallic implants * Pregnancy
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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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NYU Langone Health - Bellevue Hospital
New York, New York, 10016, United States
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