Ear-Zap study sees if nerve stimulation is safe for kids
NCT ID NCT06168071
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Aug 26, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study is testing whether a device that gently stimulates a nerve in the ear is safe and tolerable for healthy children. Ten children will receive a single 30-minute session while their heart rate, oxygen levels, and brain waves are monitored. The goal is to learn how the stimulation affects the brain, not to treat any condition.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transauricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) device
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help researchers understand how taVNS affects the brain in children, potentially guiding future therapies for brain injury.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early-phase study in healthy children, not designed to test any treatment. It only measures safety and brain activity, so it may not lead to any direct medical benefit.
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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About 10 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2023
- Expected to finish
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Jul 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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7 to 18 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: * Admitted for clinical EEG for spell characterization at investigator's institution Exclusion Criteria: * known history of brain injury * known history of bradycardia * congenital heart disease * pregnant * pacemaker or wearable defibrillator * undergoing active cancer treatment
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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
1 site. 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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Washington University in St. Louis
St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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