Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Enhance Motor Learning

Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential

Status

Terminated

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT05316519

Enrollment

Registered

2022-04-07

Start date

2022-06-01

Completion date

2023-12-31

Last updated

2024-05-09

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Motor Disorders, Neurological Injury, Paresis

Brief summary

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) activates neural pathways leading to the release of chemicals that promote plasticity and learning. Previous work has shown that the auricular branch of the vagus nerve innervates landmarks on the external ear. Work from the PI's laboratory has shown that electrical current applied to the external ear activates neural pathways implicated in the therapeutic effects of VNS. The broad objective of this project is to better understand physiological mechanisms that are modulated by auricular stimulation and its potential to enhance motor learning.

Interventions

OTHERTranscutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Visuomotor task training with transcutaneous stimulation targeting landmark that activates biomarker

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

SINGLE (Subject)

Masking description

Single-blind

Intervention model description

Sham-controlled

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 75 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

(For prospective subjects diagnosed with stroke) * Confirmed diagnosis of a single stroke at least six months prior to participation

Exclusion criteria

* History of vestibular disorders or dizziness * Diagnosis of neurological disorders affecting movement * Ocular disease and/or impairment in more than one eye * Pregnant or expecting to become pregnant * Difficulty maintaining alertness and/or remaining still

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Precision grip stability (coefficient of variation or root-mean-square error)	1 month post training	The ability to stabilize precision grip according to target force and/or preload force will be quantified by calculating coefficient of variation (CV) or root-mean-square error (RMSE) which characterize variability in relation to mean force or target force.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Force signal composition (Fourier transform)	1 month post training	The force signal oscillates at various frequencies and will be decomposed with a Fourier transform to quantify the relative contribution of higher frequencies.

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026