Healthy Subjects (HS)NCT07528742
Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Reaction Time
A study testing vagus nerve stimulation in people with Healthy Subjects (HS), run by Youngstown State University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation will be provided to the participants using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit, a routine physical therapy intervention by the faculty researcher who is a licensed physical therapist. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy Subjects (HS)
- What is being tested?
- vagus nerve stimulation
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 6 Apr 2026to 5 Apr 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Healthy participants over the age of 18
- did not receive vagus nerve stimulation previously
Who cannot join
- alcohol or drug abuse
- metal in the skull
- implanted cardiac or cranial devices
- Women during 3 trimester of pregnancy
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, Ohio, 44555
Weiqing Ge, DPT, PhD, 330-941-2702, wge@ysu.edu
Cathy Parrott, PhD, 330 941-2559, cbieberparrott@ysu.edu
About this study
Official title: Enhancing Reaction Time Through Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation will be provided to the participants using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit, a routine physical therapy intervention by the faculty researcher who is a licensed physical therapist. The electrodes will be clipped to ear over the vagus nerve distribution area. The parameters will be 30 Hz, 250 us, 5 minutes, at tolerance (no pain). Reaction time will test collected pre and post the stimulation using online reaction time testing platform.
- Conditions
- Healthy Subjects (HS)
- Being tested
- vagus nerve stimulation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
vagus nerve stimulationDevice
Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation will be provided to the participants using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit, a routine physical therapy intervention by the faculty researcher who is a licensed physical therapist. The electrodes will be clipped to ear over the vagus nerve distribution area. The parameters will be 30 Hz, 250 us, 5 minutes, at tolerance (no pain)
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| vagus nerve stimulation | Experimental | Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation will be provided to the participants using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit, a routine physical therapy intervention by the faculty researcher who is a licensed physical therapist. The electrodes will be clipped to ear over the vagus nerve distribution area. The parameters will be 30 Hz, 250 us, 5 minutes, at tolerance (no pain). Receives: Device: vagus nerve stimulation |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Reaction time
Reaction time will test collected pre and post the stimulation using online platform. The subjects will press a key when setting a color change in the computer screen.
Measured: Baseline and immediately after the intervention.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Apr 2026
- Study start6 Apr 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion5 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion5 Apr 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Healthy Subjects (HS)Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Youngstown State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Weiqing Ge, Youngstown State University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07528742
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2026-218
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 4 Apr 2026
- Last updated
- 14 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: The investigators plan to present at conference and publish in scientific journal.
Publications
Camargo L, Gianlorenco AC, Pacheco-Barrios K, Pichardo E, Costa V, Choi H, Song JJ, Fregni F. The effects of non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on resting-state delta oscillation: a randomized, double-blinded, sham-control trial. Sci Rep. 2025 Oct 3;15(1):34531. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-17821-5.
PubMed 41044114
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Enhancing Reaction Time Through Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07528742
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2026-218
- Conditions
- Healthy Subjects (HS)
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Youngstown State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 6 Apr 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 5 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 5 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 14 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation will be provided to the participants using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit, a routine physical therapy intervention by the faculty researcher who is a licensed physical therapist. The electrodes will be clipped to ear over the vagus nerve distribution area. The parameters will be 30 Hz, 250 us, 5 minutes, at tolerance (no pain). Reaction time will test collected pre and post the stimulation using online reaction time testing platform.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| vagus nerve stimulation | Experimental | Device: vagus nerve stimulationNon-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation will be provided to the participants using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit, a routine physical therapy intervention by the faculty researcher who is a licensed physical therapist. The electrodes will be clipped to ear over the vagus nerve distribution area. The parameters will be 30 Hz, 250 us, 5 minutes, at tolerance (no pain). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Healthy participants over the age of 18
- did not receive vagus nerve stimulation previously
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- alcohol or drug abuse
- metal in the skull
- implanted cardiac or cranial devices
- Women during 3 trimester of pregnancy
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| vagus nerve stimulationNon-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation will be provided to the participants using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit, a routine physical therapy intervention by the faculty researcher who is a licensed physical therapist. The electrodes will be clipped to ear over the vagus nerve distribution area. The parameters will be 30 Hz, 250 us, 5 minutes, at tolerance (no pain) | Device | vagus nerve stimulation |
Primary outcome
Reaction time
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the intervention.
Reaction time will test collected pre and post the stimulation using online platform. The subjects will press a key when setting a color change in the computer screen.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Apr 2026.
- Results publication: PubMed 41044114Camargo L, Gianlorenco AC, Pacheco-Barrios K, Pichardo E, Costa V, Choi H, Song JJ, Fregni F. The effects of non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on resting-state delta oscillation: a randomized, double-blinded, sham-control trial. Sci Rep. 2025 Oct 3;15(1):34531. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-17821-5.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. The investigators plan to present at conference and publish in scientific journal.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing vagus nerve stimulation in people with Healthy Subjects (HS), run by Youngstown State University at 1 site in United States.
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 2 inclusion and 4 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Apr 2026. 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 United States. 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. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Weiqing Ge Ge, DPT, PhD (330-941-2702, wge@ysu.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Reaction time (time frame: Baseline and immediately after the intervention.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07528742, which also lists 1 linked publication.
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 14 Apr 2026.