Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) for Inflammation and Depression Following SCI

Technology

General health

Online since 26 April 2025, updated today

About this trial

This trial is enrolling 44 participants with spinal cord injury to test the effect of stimulating a nerve (vagus which regulates various involuntary, automatic body functions) on inflammation and depression. The nerve stimulation will be delivered to the skin of the ear (called transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation -taVNS). If included, participants will be randomly assigned to receive either active taVNS or sham stimulation for 4 hours daily over a 30-day period. Final testing for safety and for measures of inflammation and depression will be performed after 30 days.

Included participants

Gender

All

Age

≥ 18 years

Injury level

C1 - S5

Severity (AIS)?

Time since injury

All

Healthy volunteers

C1-S5

Additionally, participants must

NOT have a pacemaker or other implanted electrical device (e.g. cochlear implant, implanted vagus nerve stimulator, cardiac pacemaker)

have mild to moderate measures for depression

What’s involved

Type

Technology

Details

- Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either active transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) or sham stimulation for 4 hours daily over a 30-day period. - taVNS is a technique for stimulating the vagus nerve via surface stimulation on the skin of the ear to influence neural activity. - Final testing will be performed after 30 days.

Potential benefits

Main benefits

General health

Additional benefits

Mental health and psychosocial factors

Good to know: Potential benefits are defined as outcomes that are being measured during and/or after the trial.

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