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Microelectrode Recordings From the Vagus Nerve in Awake Humans

University of Minnesota · NCT06016686

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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 18–40 · All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Study type
Interventional · Phase 1
Target enrollment
60
US sites recruiting
1
Study start
April 1, 2024
Record last updated
April 20, 2026

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

What the study is about

This Anchillary project uses a refined technique of ultrasound-guided microneurography of the human cervical vagus nerve, an approach developed by Professor Vaughan Macefield and used safely to-date in 44 prior study participants.

The overall goal of this project is to build upon prior data obtained using this approach by undertaking a detailed neurophysiological investigation of the human vagus nerve and to identify the nerve fibers activated during vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) in participants with implanted VNS devices in response to different stimulation parameters. In addition to providing data in unprecedented detail into the physiology of the human vagus nerve, this project will investigate different stimulus intensities, durations and frequencies that differentially excite myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers. These results will inform the CSP and guide future development of novel neural interfaces for VNS for various clinical applications.

Being studied: VNS stimulation and intraneural recordings; Record multi-unit activity from intraneural sites

Conditions: Epilepsy

Eligibility criteria

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

Show full criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • The participant is greater than or equal to (≥)18 years and is less than or equal to (≤) 40 years of age
  • English speaking
  • Medicare covered or equivalent health insurance from a partner country

Exclusion Criteria

  • Pregnant
  • Smokes and is unwilling to abstain from smoking on the day of the experiment.
  • Inability or unwillingness to provide written informed consent.
  • Individuals with difficulty standing unassisted for 5 minutes during the tilt-table testing
  • Individuals found to have a significant carotid artery plaque or intima-media thickness > 1 mm as assessed by ultrasonography during the ultrasound-screening steps of the study visit
  • Vagus nerve not visible on ultrasound
  • VNS electrodes are not in a suitable location to allow for microelectrode insertion
  • Any other clinical reasons deemed by the investigators

Recruiting US locations

  • University of Minnesota

    Minneapolis, MN 55455

    Site contact: Kathryn Vera, PhD · 612-625-5018 · giero002@umn.edu

Study contacts (from the official record)

  • Kathryn Vera, PhD · 612-625-5018 · giero002@umn.edu
All neurology studies in Minnesota →
Microelectrode Recordings From the Vagus Nerve in Awake Humans (NCT06016686) | Bored Studies