Could a headset tame inflammation in duchenne muscular dystrophy?
NCT ID NCT07543302
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study tests a device called Travagus One, which stimulates a nerve in the ear to reduce inflammation in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Twenty boys aged 5-17 will use the headset at home for 5 minutes twice a day for one week. Researchers will measure inflammatory markers in blood samples before and after treatment to see if the device is safe and can lower inflammation, potentially offering an alternative to high-dose steroids.
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 safer anti-inflammatory treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, reducing the need for high-dose steroids with their severe side effects.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early pilot study with only 20 participants and one week of treatment. The device may not reduce inflammation enough to make a real difference, and results may not apply to all patients.
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 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Apr 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
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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5 to 17 years
- Sex
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Male participants only
- 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: * Confirmed DMD diagnosis * Informed consent signed by the legal guardian and the patient Exclusion Criteria: * Age \<5 years * Wounds, skin irritation, or infection in the left auricle * Previous vagotomy or other interventions that may have hampered vagus nerve functions * Inability, even with the assistance of a guardian, to acquire adequate technique for ear stimulation * Previous partial or complete splenectomy * Severe cardiac disease
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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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Astrid Lindgren Children´s Hospital
Stockholm, 17176, Sweden
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