---
title: Mapping Auricular Vagus Nerve Circuitry
nct_id: NCT00200889
overall_status: RECRUITING
phase: EARLY_PHASE1
sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
primary_condition: Healthy
countries: United States
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT00200889.md"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00200889"
ct_last_update_post_date: 2025-10-24
last_seen_at: "2026-05-12T06:03:21.014Z"
source: ClinicalTrials.gov (mirrored, no enrichment)
---
# Mapping Auricular Vagus Nerve Circuitry

**Official Title:** Auricular Vagal Nerve Stimulation for Gastric and Brain Outcomes

**NCT ID:** [NCT00200889](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00200889)

## Key Facts

- **Status:** RECRUITING
- **Phase:** EARLY_PHASE1
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Target Enrollment:** 50
- **Lead Sponsor:** Massachusetts General Hospital
- **Collaborators:** National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- **Conditions:** Healthy
- **Start Date:** 2023-08-22
- **Completion Date:** 2028-06-30
- **CT.gov Last Update:** 2025-10-24

## Brief Summary

This study will determine how noninvasive nerve stimulation affects human brain, stomach, and autonomic activity.

## Detailed Description

Scientific research into the basic mechanisms underlying neuromodulation is relatively recent and incomplete. The purpose of the proposed study is to determine how a form of neuromodulation, transcutaneous electro-accupoint stimulation, which is non-invasive and non-painful, affects human brain, stomach, and autonomic activity. We will accomplish this by integrating whole brain functional MRI (fMRI) methodologies with gastric MRI and physiological monitoring.

This study will comprise 3 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain-gut scans, all while receiving the neuromodulation with varying parameters. Participants will also have their heart rate, breathing, and gastric activity monitored during all visits.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 18 Years
- **Maximum age:** 65 Years
- **Sex:** ALL
- **Healthy Volunteers:** Yes

```
Inclusion Criteria:

* Adults 18-65
* Functional dyspepsia

Exclusion Criteria:

* Any condition contraindicating an fMRI brain scan
```

## Arms

- **Congruent** (EXPERIMENTAL) — Participants receive briefings on expectations of stimulation effects on gastric motility consistent with the literature.
- **Incongruent** (EXPERIMENTAL) — Participants receive briefings on expectations of stimulation effects on gastric motility inconsistent with the literature.

## Interventions

- **active TEAS** (DEVICE) — non-painful active transcutaneous electro-acupoint stimulation will be delivered to the abdomen and leg

## Primary Outcomes

- **Brain activity during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)** _(time frame: 1 hour)_ — Blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal change between active and inactive auricular tVNS
- **Stomach activity during gastric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)** _(time frame: 30 minutes)_ — Gastric accommodation and sensitivity change between active and inactive auricular tVNS

## Secondary Outcomes

- **Electrogastrography (EGG)** _(time frame: 2 hours)_
- **Electrocardiography (ECG)** _(time frame: 2 hours)_
- **Respiration** _(time frame: 2 hours)_
- **Skin Conductance Levels (SCL)** _(time frame: 2 hours)_

## Locations (1)

- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States — _RECRUITING_

## Recent Field Changes (last 30 days)

- `status.overallStatus` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.primaryCompletionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.completionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.lastUpdatePostDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.phases` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.enrollmentCount` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.criteria` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.minAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.maxAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.sex` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.primary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.secondary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.arms` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.interventions` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `sponsor.lead` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `sponsor.collaborators` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `results.hasResults` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `locations.massachusetts general hospital|boston|massachusetts|united states` — added _(2026-05-12)_

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT00200889.md*  
*Source data (authoritative): https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00200889*  
*This page is a raw mirror with no AI summary, no editorial enrichment, and no Parkinson's-specific filtering.*