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nVNS for the Prevention and Treatment of Primary Headache

Noninvasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation for the Prevention and Treatment of Primary Headache: a Single-arm Single-center Clinical Trial.

Status
Recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06277063
Enrollment
15
Registered
2024-02-26
Start date
2024-12-05
Completion date
2026-12-30
Last updated
2025-08-12

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

Conditions

Cluster Headache, Migraine in Adolescence, Migraine in Children, Primary Headache, Tension Headache

Keywords

Primary headache, Adolescents, Noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation

Brief summary

This study is a single-center, single-arm study. All subjects will receive the same treatment. Children and adolescents (7-20 years old) with migraine who met the inclusion criteria will be enrolled as subjects in the experimental group, and the changes in headache scores before and after the intervention will be compared. The intervention method is as follows: ictal intervention, in which subjects will be evaluated for headache improvement after a short intervention during an acute exacerbation. By wearing a vagus stimulator, the stimulating electrode will be located in the concha region rich in vagus nerve fiber endings, and the appropriate stimulation intensity will be adjusted for stimulation. Therefore, this study will verify the effect of nVNS on the acute treatment of primary headache in children and adolescents. Based on the electrocardiogram and electromyography indicators during the intervention process of nVNS, an objective evaluation system for the improvement of headache by nVNS is established, and the role of stimulation parameters on the effect is further explored to realize the optimization of parameters.

Interventions

DEVICETranscutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation

The vagus nerve's auricular branch is primarily distributed in the tragus, tragus sulcus, and concha cavity. It can activate the nucleus tractus solitarius through the vagus afferent fibers, thereby activating various areas of the vagus nerve in the central nervous system. This stimulation technique involves applying a constant current of around 2-3mA to the epidermal terminals of the ear using an electrode. It aims to regulate the vagus nerve, modulate the autonomic nervous system, release neurotransmitters, improve cerebral blood flow, and alleviate headache symptoms. In the implementation, non-invasive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation was performed by having the subject wear a vagus stimulator and adjusting the appropriate stimulation intensity.

Sponsors

BrainClos Company, LTD.
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Zhuhai Fudan Innovation Institute
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
7 Years to 20 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Patients with migraine, cluster headache and tension-type headache were diagnosed according to Chinese Guidelines for the diagnosis and Treatment of Migraine (2022 edition) and Chinese Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of cluster headache (2022 edition). 2. Age \>=7 years old, \<=20 years old; 3. Patients have experienced headache on 3-15 days per month in the past; 4. Maintain a stable dose and frequency of medication and do not take new drugs during the course of participating in the trial; 5. They volunteered to participate in the trial and signed informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

1. History of secondary headache, aneurysm, intracranial hemorrhage, brain tumor, severe head trauma, drug abuse, addiction, syncope, or seizures; 2. prior migraine-preventive surgery, cervical vagotomy, or implantation of an electronic or neurostimulator device; 3. Simultaneous use of other devices (e.g., TENS devices, muscle stimulators); 4. An implantable medical device in use, such as a pacemaker, hearing aid, or any implantable electronic device; 5. underwent head and neck nerve block within the past 2 months; 6. Opioid use (more than 2 days per month); Use of analgesics alone or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (more than 15 days per month); Or tamoxifen, ergots or combination analgesics (more than 10 days per month); 7. Patients who underwent cervical vagotomy (cervical vagotomy); 8. Pediatric patients (under 6 years old); Pregnant women; 9. Patients with clinically significant hypertension, hypotension, bradycardia or tachycardia; 10. Patients with congenital heart disease; 11. Mental/cognitive disorders, etc.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Reduction in pain intensity--actue period study2 hours after treatmentThe visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the pain. It is widely used in clinical practice in China. The basic method is to use a swimming ruler of about 10cm in length, marked with 10 scales on one side, and 0 and 10 scales on both ends. For the AP study, the primary outcome measure is the reduction in pain intensity assessed by VAS 2 hours after treatment.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Heart rate variability(HRV)--actue period study and preventive period studybefore and after the intervention. The test consisted of 5 mins of rest (i.e., no vagal stimulation), 10 mins of vagal stimulation, 5 mins of rest, and a total of 20 minutes of electrocardA 20-minute closed-loop ECG assessment test was performed before and after the intervention for both the AP study and PP study. The test consisted of 5 minutes of rest (i.e., no vagal stimulation), 10 minutes of vagal stimulation, 5 minutes of rest, and a total of 20 minutes of electrocard.
Electromyography(EMG)--actue period study and preventive period studybefore and after the intervention. The test consisted of 5 mins of rest (i.e., no vagal stimulation), 10 mins of vagal stimulation, 5 mins of rest, and a total of 20 minutes of electrocardA 20-minute closed-loop evaluation test of neck electromyography was performed before and after the intervention for both the AP study and PP study. The testing process consisted of 5 minutes of rest (i.e., no vagal stimulation), 10 minutes of vagal stimulation, 5 minutes of rest, and a total of 20 minutes of electrocard.
Change in pain intensity--actue period studyhalf hour, 8-12 hours, 24 hours, and 36-48 hours after treatmentFor the AP study, we will analysis the change in pain intensity assessed by VAS scores, half hour, 8-12 hours, 24 hours, and 36-48 hours after treatment.

Countries

China

Contacts

Primary ContactXiao XueZhen, PhD
xuezhenxiao@brainclos.com+8613425122570
Backup ContactJi Ya-Bin, post-doc
yabinji@126.com+8615913186246

Outcome results

None listed

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