AzTrials
AzTrials

Pain, AcuteNCT06240026

Transauricular Vagal Nerve Stimulation, Pressure Pain and Interoception

A study testing taVNS and Earlobe Stimulation in people with Pain, Acute, run by Aalborg University at 1 site in Denmark.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

Interoception, the ability to perceive, process and respond to signals originating from within the body, is crucial for maintaining healthy physiological ranges. Indeed, dysfunction in this ability has been associated with various mood and pain disorders. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 16 to 80 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Pain, Acute
What is being tested?
taVNS and Earlobe Stimulation
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
50 participants
Where
1 siteDenmark
Study dates
1 Mar 2024to 7 Aug 2025
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 16 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Are aged 18-60
  • Are healthy
  • Speak and understand English

Who cannot join

  • Are pregnant and/or breastfeeding
  • Regularly use cannabis, opioids, or other drugs
  • Currently or previously suffered of a neurologic, musculoskeletal, mental, or other illnesses (e.g., brain or spinal cord injuries, degenerative neurological disorders, major depression, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, etc.)
  • Once or more a week take of analgesic medication or other medication which may affect the trial (including paracetamol and NSAIDs)
  • Have a recent history of acute pain, particularly in the lower limbs.
  • Have abnormally disrupted sleep in 24 hours preceding experiment.
  • Have contraindications to electric application (history of epilepsy, metal implants in head or jaw, etc.)
  • Lack the ability to cooperate.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Denmark1 site
  • Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain

    Gistrup, North Denmark, 9260

Other trials in Denmark

About this study

Official title: Effects of Transauricular Vagal Nerve Stimulation on Interoceptive Channels in Healthy Subjects

Interoception, the ability to perceive, process and respond to signals originating from within the body, is crucial for maintaining healthy physiological ranges. Indeed, dysfunction in this ability has been associated with various mood and pain disorders. Based on the overlap between the anatomical pathway of this ability and the site of action of the tool, transauricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS) could modulate this interoception. However, little is known about the breadth, duration, and mechanism of interoception modulation by taVNS.

The study (Ethics Region Nord Jylland Denmark, N-20230022) will address these limitations, with 2 experiments with a focus on three interoceptive channels: deep muscular pressure pain, heartbeat, and thermal perception.

Read the detailed description

The first experiment will aim to corroborate and extend the pain-modulating effect of taVNS to other interoceptive functions and to vagal-activation markers. For this, 30 healthy subjects will complete a randomized, active control, crossover study. The main intervention is left concha taVNS (NEMOS, CerboMed GmbH, Erlangen, Germany) for 20 minutes (200µs duration, 25Hz, at a personalized intensity). This will be compared to an active control of identical electrical stimulation to the left earlobe. A blinding assessment inquiring which stimulation is supposed to be therapeutic will be collected. Main outcomes are pressure pain thresholds and temporal summation of pain responses acquired via cuff-pressure algometer (Cortex Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark) placed at the calf. Heartbeat perception, assessed via the heartbeat counting task, and thermal perception, assessed using a QST thermal grid, are also primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes are conditioned pain modulation, resting state electroencephalography, electrocardiography, and pupillary light reflexes. To assess whether, and how, taVNS modulates deep muscular pressure pain, heartbeat, and thermal perception, primary and secondary measurements pre, post and 30min post stimulation will be collected and compared. To assess the duration of the potential effects, these outcomes will be collected, and compared, at 5min intervals until the primary measurements are within 20% of baseline values. Given baseline is recovered, the second stimulation session will take place. Given this has not occurred within 1.5h of the cessation of the stimulation in the first stimulation session, subjects will be asked to come back at their earliest convenience.

The second experiment will additionally explore the effect of stimulation paradigm and intensity. For this, 20 healthy subjects will complete a randomized, active and sham control, crossover study. The main intervention is left concha taVNS (NEMOS, CerboMed GmbH, Erlangen, Germany) for 40 minutes (200µs duration, 25Hz). This will be compared to an active control of identical electrical stimulation to the left earlobe and sham stimulation. Stimulation intensity will be given at 2/3rd of perception to pain threshold and at pain thresholds. A burst and continuous paradigm will also be employed. A blinding assessment inquiring which stimulation is supposed to be therapeutic will be collected. Main outcomes are pressure pain thresholds acquired via cuff-pressure algometer (Cortex Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark) placed at the calf. Heartbeat perception, assessed via the heartbeat counting task is also primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes are conditioned pain modulation, resting state electroencephalography, electrocardiography, and pupillary light reflexes. Assessments will be acquire pre, during and post stimulation.

Conditions
Pain, Acute
Being tested
taVNS, Earlobe Stimulation
Keywords
transauricular Vagal Nerve Stimulation, Interoception, Deep Muscular Pressure Pain, Mechanism, Cardioception, Thermoception
Medical subject headings
Acute Pain

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • taVNSDevice

    transauricular vagal nerve stimulation electrodes (NEMOS, CerboMed GmbH, Erlangen, Germany), attached to a digitimer.

  • Earlobe StimulationDevice

    Standard electrodes (Ambu, Neuroline, Bordeaux, France) cut into 0.6cm circles, attached to a digitimer.

Study groups in NCT06240026
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
transauricular Vagal Nerve StimulationExperimentalNEMOS taVNS electrodes will be placed in the left concha cymba of participants (CerboMed GmbH, Erlangen, Germany). When appropriate, these electrodes will be plugged into a digitimer. Whilst pulse width, frequency, stimulation burst and total duration will be respectively standardized to 200microseconds and 25Hz. In the first experiment, continuous and 20min stimulation will be applied at one person-specific intensity. To acquire this, using an elegant stair-case algorithm, perception and supra-pain (described as a 7/10 pain level, where 10 is the most amount of pain imaginable) thresholds will be obtained. Stimulation intensity will then be defined as 2/3 the range between these thresholds. In the second experiment, burst and continuous stimulation will be applied for 40min. Two intensities will be used: 2/3 the range between perception and supra-pain thresholds and supra-pain thresholds.
Receives: Device: taVNS
Earlobe StimulationActive comparatorElectrodes (Ambu, Neuroline, Bordeaux, France) will respectively be placed on the front and back of the earlobe. When appropriate, these electrodes will be plugged into a digitimer . Whilst pulse width, frequency, stimulation burst and total duration will be respectively standardized to 200microseconds, 25Hz, continuous and 20minutes, the stimulation will be person specific. To acquire this intensity, participants will perform a thresholding protocol. Based on an elegant stair-case algorithm, the perception and pain (described as a 7/10 pain level, where 10 is the most amount of pain imaginable) thresholds will be obtained. Stimulation intensity will then be defined as 2/3 the range between these thresholds. For example, if the perception and pain thresholds are respectively at 2mA and 8mA, the stimulation intensity would be 6mA.
Receives: Device: Earlobe Stimulation
ShamSham comparatorNo current will be applied to the ear of the participant.
Receives: Device: taVNS; Device: Earlobe Stimulation

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Pain Perception Threshold

    Pressure algometer cuffs, placed on the calf of participants, attached to an electronic visual analogue scale (VAS) measuring device will be employed. Per cuff, as it inflates, participants are asked to move the dial of the VAS when the pressure begins to be painful. The pressure at which this occurs is referred to as the pain perception threshold (PPT).

    Measured: This measurement will be taken pre-intervention, and directly post- and 30min post-intervention. It will also be taken in 5min intervals post-intervention until the PPT is back within 20% of the pre-intervention value.

  2. Pain Tolerance Threshold

    Pressure algometer cuffs, placed on the calf of participants, attached to a visual analogue scale (VAS) will be employed. Per cuff, as it inflates, participants are asked to move the dial of the VAS when the pressure begins to be painful. They are then tasked to accordingly move the dial as the pain increases. Importantly, when the pain becomes intolerable, participants are tasked to press the red button which releases all pressure. The pressure at which this occurs is referred to as the pain tolerance threshold (PTT).

    Measured: This measurement will be taken pre-intervention, and directly post- and 30min post-intervention.

  3. Temporary Summation of Pain

    The pressure algometer cuff will inflate on the dominant leg for 1second, with a 1second break, to the given PTT 10 times consecutively. Participants are asked to move the VAS dial to the pain level at each inflation, without returning to 0 on the scale. Nothing will be done with the cuff on the opposite leg.

    Measured: This measurement will be taken pre-intervention, and directly post- and 30min post-intervention.

  4. Heartbeat Perception

    Randomly interleaved and without manual help, subjects will be tasked to count their own heartbeat across 3 time-intervals (25, 35 and 45 seconds). The difference between the perceived and actual heartbeat count is defined herein as the heartbeat perception.

    Measured: This measurement will be taken pre-intervention, and directly post- and 30min post-intervention.

  5. Thermal Perception

    The QST.lab thermal stimulator contains 6 stimulation regions, which can individually be programmed. First, with all regions programmed identically, participants will be tasked to state when the stimulus is perceived as painfully cold and warm. These will respectively be the cold and warm thresholds. A thermal-grid illusion pattern will then be generated: this involves interleaving stimulation regions as cold (2deg above the cold threshold) and hot (2deg below the hot threshold). Participants will then be asked to rate the pain intensity of this stimulation (0=no pain, 10=worst pain imaginable).

    Measured: This measurement will be acquired pre-intervention, and directly post- and 30min post-intervention.

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Conditioned Pain Modulation

    The non-dominant leg will receive a continuous pressure of 70% of the PTT previously registered. The cuff on the dominant leg will gradually inflate. As this occurs, participants are once again asked to start moving the dial when the pressure begins to be painful, and to press the red button when this becomes intolerable.

    Measured: This measurement will be taken pre-intervention, and directly post- and 30min post-intervention.

  2. Handheld Pain Perception Threshold

    For each side separately, a handheld pressure algometer will be applied at a constant rate of 30kPa/s, perpendicularly to the belly of the musculus trapezius. Participants will be instructed to press a button when they first perceive the pressure to be painful. This is referred to as the handheld pain perception threshold.

    Measured: This measurement will be taken pre-intervention, and directly post- and 30min post-intervention.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted2 Feb 2024
  2. Study start1 Mar 2024
  3. Primary completion7 Aug 2025
  4. Study completion7 Aug 2025

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Model description
In the first experiment, participants will part-take in two identical stimulation sessions, differing only by the use of active taVNS in one session and an active control of left earlobe stimulation in the other. The sequence of sessions will be counter-balanced and randomized between participants. In the second experiment, participants will part-take in two sessions, occurring on 2 different days separated by 48h minimum. In each session, participants will undergo three 40 min stimulation, separated by 30min and differing in location, intensity and paradigm. Specifically, in one session, participants will undergo taVNS-burst-high-intensity, taVNS-continuous-high-intensity and taVNS-continuous-low-intensity (randomized). In the second session, participants will undergo earlobe-burst-high-intensity, earlobe-continuous-high-intensity and sham (in the complementary order to the other session). The sequence of sessions will be counter-balanced and randomized between participants.
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
50 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06240026
Sponsor's protocol ID
N-20230022
Status last verified
Sep 2025
First submitted
15 Jan 2024
Last updated
30 Sep 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Data will be anonymized. During the experiment, personal data necessary for the execution of the project will be processed, and after termination of the experiment, personal data in accordance with the Data Protection Regulation.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing taVNS and Earlobe Stimulation in people with Pain, Acute, run by Aalborg University at 1 site in Denmark.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Sep 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Denmark. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Pain Perception Threshold (time frame: This measurement will be taken pre-intervention, and directly post- and 30min post-intervention. It will also be taken in 5min intervals post-intervention until the PPT is back within 20% of the pre-intervention value.). The study lists 5 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 30 Sep 2025.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in