The Modulatory Effects of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) on Anxiety Responses and Emotional Regulation
Sponsor study identifier
interventional
140
1 country
1
Study Start
October 9, 2025
Actual (reported)Primary Completion
March 16, 2026
Estimated (date passed)This estimate has passed. The registry has not confirmed an actual date for this milestone.
Study Completion
April 16, 2026
Estimated (date passed)This estimate has passed. The registry has not confirmed an actual date for this milestone.
The main aim of this study is to investigate whether transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) can reduce anxiety and have an effect on emotional regulations
Registry-reported information. Elapsed time and enrollment totals alone do not measure study progress or recruitment pace.
April 16, 2026
Estimated (date passed)This estimate has passed. The registry has not confirmed an actual date for this milestone.
Click on a node to explore related trials.
Some registry-reported names shown below are not yet linked in this graph.
Dates and qualifiers reported by the registry. Estimated dates do not confirm that a milestone has occurred.
September 29, 2025
Actual (reported)October 9, 2025
Actual (reported)January 27, 2026
Actual (reported)March 16, 2026
Estimated (date passed)This estimate has passed. The registry has not confirmed an actual date for this milestone.
April 16, 2026
Estimated (date passed)This estimate has passed. The registry has not confirmed an actual date for this milestone.
Brain activity patterns in response to negative pictures during emotional regulation
Subjects will receive task-based fMRI scanning (i.e., the modified emotional regulation task) after taVNS and two resting-state fMRI scanning sessions. We will examine these brain response patterns in the modified emotional regulation task via both the conventional univariate analysis and the machine learning-based multivariate pattern analysis.
60 minutes
Resting-state functional conetivity changes
Subjects will receive resting-state fMRI scanning twice before and after taVNS. We will examine resting-state functional conetivity changes induced by taVNS via examining functional conetivity differences between pre- and post-taVNS sessions.
15 minutes
Behavioral indices in the task
Anxiety and success ratings after each regulation trial are recorded in the task. Subjects are instructed to rate their anxiety and success levels using a 9-point Likert scale within 4 seconds (1 = not at all, 9 = very anxious or successful)
60 minutes
Skin conductance responses (SCR) in the emotional regulation task during fMRI scanning
60 minutes
HRV in resting-state fMRI and emotional regulation task
75 minutes during scanning
Saliva samples analysis
Three time points: pre-taVNS (baseline, 0 minute), immediate post-taVNS (60 minutes post-taVNS), and the end of experiment (70 minutes post-scanning).
male and female subjects with high trait anxiety and experimental treatment
male and female subjects with high trait anxiety and sham treatment
male and female subjects with no high trait anxiety and experimental treatment
15 minutes taVNS on tragus
15 minutes taVNS on earlobe
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC)
Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731, China
Shuxia Yao, Dr
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
First Submitted
September 29, 2025
First Posted
January 27, 2026
Study Start
October 9, 2025
Actual (reported)Primary Completion
March 16, 2026
Estimated (date passed)male and female subjects with no high trait anxiety and sham treatment
15 minutes taVNS on tragus
15 minutes taVNS on earlobe
Registry-reported names are shown in full. Names without a link have not yet been matched to a Syfrah profile.
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
This estimate has passed. The registry has not confirmed an actual date for this milestone.
Study Completion
April 16, 2026
Estimated (date passed)This estimate has passed. The registry has not confirmed an actual date for this milestone.
Last Updated
January 27, 2026
Record last verified: 2025-09
Download the complete ClinicalTrials.gov record imported by Syfrah, including fields not shown in this page. The registry may contain a newer revision.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov.
JSON downloads include source attribution and retrieval details alongside the unchanged original record or the separately normalized values.
Source retrieved: