Skip to content
Bored Studies
RecruitingAccepts healthy volunteers

Effect of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) on Plasma Insulin Levels

Indiana University · NCT06597149

View Study & Apply (opens in a new tab)

Opens the official ClinicalTrials.gov record, with the study team’s contacts. Bored Studies doesn’t enroll anyone.

Key facts

Compensation
Not posted. Ask the study team before screening.
Who can join
Ages 18–70 · All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Study type
Interventional · Not applicable
Target enrollment
60
US sites recruiting
1
Study start
April 21, 2025
Record last updated
October 1, 2026

Status re-checked against ClinicalTrials.gov within the last 12 hours.

What the study is about

The vagus or vagal nerve is a nerve that sends signals from the brain to other parts of the body to control involuntary functionm, including stomach function, and it is important to the regulation of insulin, C-peptide, and glucose levels. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether electrically stimulating the nerve around the external ear will also stimulate the internal vagus nerve and influence the levels of insulin, C-peptide, and glucose. If it does, investigators hope that this will help innovate treatment of patients with nausea, vomiting, and disordered stomach function, and patients with diabetes.

Being studied: Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation; Sham Procedure (No Stimulation)

Conditions: Healthy

Eligibility criteria

Copied from the official record. The study team makes the final decision at screening.

Show full criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • Healthy Volunteers
  • Aged 18-70
  • Willing to have ECG electrodes placed on their neck and chest areas.
  • Willing to have electrodes placed in the external ear.
  • Willing to have an indwelling catheter placed to avoid multiple sticks for blood draw.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Unable to provide consent.
  • Diabetes diagnosis per patient report
  • Having known allergies to adhesive on electrode pads or bandages
  • Having gastric motility issues as determined by the PI or clinical coordinator.
  • Taking any medications that may affect gastric motility or cardiac variability, i.e. alpha or beta blockers for hypertension.
  • Pregnant females
  • Those unwilling to have the taVNS device placed in their ear.
  • Those unwilling to consent to a blood draw.
  • Prisoners

Recruiting US locations

  • Indiana University Hospital

    Indianapolis, IN 46202

    Site contact: Maureen Schilling, BS · 3172782064 · maschi@iu.edu

Study contacts (from the official record)

  • Maureen Schilling, BS · 3172782064 · maschi@iu.edu
All healthy volunteers studies in Indiana →
Effect of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS)… (NCT06597149) | Bored Studies