Transdermal Vagal Stimulation for POTS

NCT ID: NCT02281097

Last Updated: 2025-02-05

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

18 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2013-06-30

Study Completion Date

2025-12-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Some patients experience high heart rates and symptoms of light-headedness, fatigue, headache during standing despite well maintained blood pressure.

These patient are disabled and can't be in upright position for a longer time. The purpose of this study is to test whether electrical stimulation of a nerve through a skin of the ear may improve heart rate response and reduce disabling symptoms.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Background Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a syndrome characterized by disabling symptoms of inadequate cerebral perfusion on assuming the upright posture, including light-headedness, fatigue, palpitations, altered mentation, headache, nausea, presyncope, and occasionally syncope.

POTS is characterized by an excessive increase in heart rate and exaggerated increase in plasma catecholamine levels on standing in the absence of a blood pressure fall. These disabling symptoms persist for more than six months.

Objective The objective of this study is to study the effect of vagal stimulation on heart rate modulation during supine and upright posture as a treatment modality for patients with POTS.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Vagal Stimulation First

Vagal stimulation to improve upright heart rate modulation and symptoms is given on first tilt study day.

Placebo stimulation with ineffective low amplitude and frequency (sham intervention) is given on second tilt study.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Stimulation

Intervention Type OTHER

Application of current to skin above auricular branch of vagal nerve to modulate heart rate and symptoms

Placebo

Intervention Type OTHER

Application of low intensive current or frequency to skin above auricular branch of vagal nerve as sham intervention

Placebo First

Placebo stimulation with ineffective low amplitude and frequency (sham intervention) is given on first tilt study day.

Vagal stimulation to improve upright heart rate modulation and symptoms is given on second tilt study day.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Stimulation

Intervention Type OTHER

Application of current to skin above auricular branch of vagal nerve to modulate heart rate and symptoms

Placebo

Intervention Type OTHER

Application of low intensive current or frequency to skin above auricular branch of vagal nerve as sham intervention

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Stimulation

Application of current to skin above auricular branch of vagal nerve to modulate heart rate and symptoms

Intervention Type OTHER

Placebo

Application of low intensive current or frequency to skin above auricular branch of vagal nerve as sham intervention

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Non-smoking patients who qualify with the criteria of idiopathic postural tachycardia syndrome will be studied. The criteria are:

1. an increase of heart rate of 30 beats/minute or an upright heart rate of \>= 120 bpm, and
2. chronic problems of symptoms during upright posture for at least 6 month.
* Subjects must also be able to safely withdrawn from medications that influence heart rate, blood pressure, and hormone levels that regulate blood pressure.
* The age limit is 18-75 years.

Exclusion Criteria

* Patients that have other major medical problems, such as cancer or heart disease are excluded because the influence of that diagnosis on the symptoms is not known.
* Pregnancy.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

75 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Vanderbilt University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Andre' Diedrich

Research Professor of Medicine

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Andre Diedrich, MD, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Italo Biaggioni, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Autonomic Dysfunction Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

Related Links

Access external resources that provide additional context or updates about the study.

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

VANDERBILT_IRB_121816

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Transauricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Children
NCT06168071 ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION NA