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Ear zaps might wake up coma patients?

NCT ID NCT04065386

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Liege 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
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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether a mild electrical stimulation on the ear (taVNS) could improve awareness in 44 patients with disorders of consciousness after a coma. For 5 days, patients received either real or sham stimulation. Researchers measured changes in behavior and brain activity. The goal was to see if this simple, non-invasive method could help jumpstart recovery.

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 vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS) device
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a safe, non-invasive way to help some patients with severe brain injuries regain awareness.
What could go wrong
This is a small early trial with only 44 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The effect may be modest or not last long.

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

44 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Feb 2022

Finished

Dec 2024

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 99 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

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: * Age ≥ 18 years old * State of consciousness: unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and minimally conscious state (MCS) as defined by CRS-R performed during the screening period. * Cerebral damage of known etiology * Time since injury between 7 and 90 days * Intact skin at the ears * Consent given by the substitute decision maker Exclusion Criteria: * Anyone who is deemed medically unsuitable for this study as determined by a physician involved with the study (e.g. severe rythmic heart condition) * Previous history of neurological disorders * Documented pregnancy * Active implant (i.e. pacemaker) * Profound sedation such as one caused by general anaesthetics (e.g., propofol) or a combination of central acting sedatives (e.g., benzodiazepines, opioids)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Consciousness Disorders Persistent Vegetative State

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Consciousness disorder Minimally conscious state Vegetative state

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège

    Liège, Liège, 4000, Belgium

  • Centre Neurologique William Lennox

    Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Brabant Wallon, 1340, Belgium

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