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Zapping the ear to sharpen aging brains: stanford launches memory study

NCT ID NCT07214194

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Stanford University 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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This Stanford study tests whether a non-invasive device that gently stimulates a nerve in the ear can improve memory formation in healthy older adults (ages 65-80) compared to younger adults (ages 18-30). The stimulation is given during learning tasks, and researchers will also look at how gut and brain health affect the results. The study involves 150 participants and aims to understand the potential of vagus nerve stimulation for memory enhancement.

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 non-invasive way to improve memory in healthy older adults and help understand the gut-brain connection in aging.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage study in healthy people, not patients with memory loss. The effect may be small or not translate to real-world benefits. Results are exploratory.

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 150 people

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

Expected to start

Feb 2027

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Jul 2028

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 80 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: * Ages 18-30 years or 65-80 years * Normal or corrected-to-normal vision (visual acuity) * Fluent in English Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant * Symptoms of memory loss * History of a neurological, psychiatric, or medical condition that could affect cognition or preclude MRI or pupillometry * Use of medications known to alter cognition * For older adults, neuropsychological performance that falls outside 1.5 standard deviations of age-adjusted norms and no self-reported memory or attention complaints

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Alzheimer disease

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Aging Alzheimer disease

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

    The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.

    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

  • Stanford University

    Stanford, California, 94305, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.