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Ear zap trial hopes to spark motivation in depressed patients

NCT ID NCT07198100

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Bonn 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether a mild, non-invasive electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve through the ear can improve motivation and mood in people with depression. Researchers will compare 60 depressed patients and 60 healthy controls, looking at how insulin sensitivity affects the results. Participants will undergo brain scans and behavioral tests during real or sham stimulation in a randomized, single-blinded crossover design.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) device
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a new way to improve motivation and mood in people with depression, especially those with insulin resistance.
What could go wrong
This is an early, small study testing only short-term effects. It may not lead to a lasting treatment, and individual results may vary.

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 120 people

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

Started

Oct 2025

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

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 60 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: * Participants with depression (DSM-5 diagnosis) or participants without depression (no DSM-5 diagnosis, lifetime) * BMI between 18.5 and 40 kg/m² * Age between 18 and 60 years * Legally valid informed consent Exclusion criteria: The following diagnoses in medical history: * Brain injury * Schizophrenia * Bipolar disorder * Severe substance use disorder * Coronary heart disease * Stroke * Epilepsy * Chronic inflammatory diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, etc.) * Type I diabetes The following diagnoses within 12 months prior to the experiment: * Obsessive-compulsive disorder * Somatic symptom disorder * Eating disorder The following diagnoses in medical history for control participants: * Depression * Anxiety disorders (except specific phobias) Generally: * Contraindications for MRI (e.g., metal implants, claustrophobia) or taVNS (e.g., piercings, sore or diseased skin on the outer right ear) * Pregnant and breastfeeding women will not be included * Unclear capacity to consent * Stomach surgeries affecting body weight (e.g., bypass surgeries)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Depression diabetes mellitus Insulin Resistance major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Major depressive disorder (MDD)

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

  • Section of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn

    RECRUITING

    Bonn, 53127, Germany

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