← Back to Search

Other

Effects of Respiratory-Gated Transcutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation in Major Depression (Phase 1)

N/A
Waitlist Available
Led By Ronald G Garcia, MD, PhD
Research Sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Be between 18 and 65 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up 2 hours

Summary

This trial will test if sending mild electrical pulses to a nerve in the neck can help people with major depression by improving their heart function, mood, and immune system.

Eligible Conditions
  • Depression

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~2 hours
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 2 hours for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Cardiac autonomic function
Change in depressive symptoms assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory
Secondary study objectives
Change in serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines

Trial Design

5Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Placebo Group
Group I: Active tVNS - 8 HzExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Expiratory-gated transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on the left auricle with 8 Hz stimulation frequency
Group II: Active tVNS - 30 HzExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Expiratory-gated transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on the left auricle with 30 Hz stimulation frequency
Group III: Active tVNS - 2 HzExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Expiratory-gated transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on the left auricle with 2 Hz stimulation frequency
Group IV: Active tVNS - 100 HzExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Expiratory-gated transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on the left auricle with 100 Hz stimulation frequency
Group V: Sham tVNSPlacebo Group1 Intervention
Sham transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on the left auricle

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

Massachusetts General HospitalLead Sponsor
3,023 Previous Clinical Trials
13,317,934 Total Patients Enrolled
193 Trials studying Depression
34,062 Patients Enrolled for Depression
Brain & Behavior Research FoundationOTHER
62 Previous Clinical Trials
2,906 Total Patients Enrolled
21 Trials studying Depression
1,165 Patients Enrolled for Depression
Ronald G Garcia, MD, PhDPrincipal InvestigatorMassachusetts General Hospital
1 Previous Clinical Trials
80 Total Patients Enrolled
~3 spots leftby Dec 2025
Unbiased ResultsWe believe in providing patients with all the options.
Your Data Stays Your DataWe only share your information with the clinical trials you're trying to access.
Verified Trials OnlyAll of our trials are run by licensed doctors, researchers, and healthcare companies.
Back to top