Effects of Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Central Pain Sensitivity & Parasympathetic Function in Knee Osteoarthritis

Study Purpose

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the feasibility and effectiveness of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) to the ear on pain and autonomic function in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA). The main questions it aims to answer are: 1) whether tVNS is feasible to be used in people with knee OA; 2) whether tVNS demonstrates the trend in improving knee pain; and 3) whether tVNS has physiological effects on autonomic function (e.g., parasympathetic function) and pain perception in the central nervous system such as brain (i.e., central pain mechanisms). Participants will be asked to complete a battery of self-reported questionnaires about their demographic and behavioral information, ethnicity, pain, sleep, psychological/emotional symptoms. Subsequently, participants will complete baseline assessment where investigators will assess their knee pain severity, central pain sensitivity, and heart rate variability (a measurement for autonomic function). Then participants will receive a 60-minute tVNS. Investigators will redo the same assessment as baseline assessment after tVNS intervention to see the degree of knee pain, central pain sensitivity, and autonomic function changes. At the end of the study, investigators will assess their satisfaction level with the tVNS intervention and the feasibility of the intervention (e.g., completion rate, side effects).

Recruitment Criteria

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Healthy volunteers are participants who do not have a disease or condition, or related conditions or symptoms

No
Study Type

An interventional clinical study is where participants are assigned to receive one or more interventions (or no intervention) so that researchers can evaluate the effects of the interventions on biomedical or health-related outcomes.


An observational clinical study is where participants identified as belonging to study groups are assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.


Searching Both is inclusive of interventional and observational studies.

Interventional
Eligible Ages 45 Years - 90 Years
Gender All
More Inclusion & Exclusion Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • - chronic knee pain consistent with a clinical osteoarthritis diagnosis, which does not require radiographic evidence (age ≥ 45 years, activity-related knee pain, and no knee morning stiffness lasting >30 minutes) - knee pain ≥ 3 months.
  • - average pain intensity ≥ 4 on a scale from 0 to 10.
  • - knee pain as the chief complaint.
  • - able to understand English.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • - current skin disease of the left ear interfering with the application of the auricular electrode for stimulation(eczema, urticarial lesion, skin infection, external otitis, etc.) - auditory canal not adapted to the application of the ear electrode.
  • - known history of cardiac rhythm disturbances or atrioventricular block > 1st degree, conduction disturbances.
  • - recurrent vagal syncope.
  • - history of vagotomy.
  • - use of other medical devices electrically active (pacemaker, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, etc) - serious and uncontrolled concomitant disease, including cardiovascular, nervous system, pulmonary, renal, hepatic, endocrine, gastrointestinal, epileptic disease or malignant diseases.
  • - pregnant or breastfeeding woman.
  • - numbness or sensation loss on the body sites for pain measurements (i.e., the wrist, knee, the forearm) - any intervention procedures for knee pain in the past 3 months.
- age less than 45 years old

Trial Details

Trial ID:

This trial id was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, providing information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies of human participants with locations in all 50 States and in 196 countries.

NCT05625178
Phase

Phase 1: Studies that emphasize safety and how the drug is metabolized and excreted in humans.

Phase 2: Studies that gather preliminary data on effectiveness (whether the drug works in people who have a certain disease or condition) and additional safety data.

Phase 3: Studies that gather more information about safety and effectiveness by studying different populations and different dosages and by using the drug in combination with other drugs.

Phase 4: Studies occurring after FDA has approved a drug for marketing, efficacy, or optimal use.

N/A
Lead Sponsor

The sponsor is the organization or person who oversees the clinical study and is responsible for analyzing the study data.

University of Texas, El Paso
Principal Investigator

The person who is responsible for the scientific and technical direction of the entire clinical study.

N/A
Principal Investigator Affiliation N/A
Agency Class

Category of organization(s) involved as sponsor (and collaborator) supporting the trial.

Other
Overall Status Recruiting
Countries United States
Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied.

Knee Osteoarthritis, Central Pain Syndrome
Arms & Interventions

Arms

Experimental: tVNS group

This will be a single-arm study where all study participants will receive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) at the cymba concha of the left ear for 60 minutes. The tVNS parameters will be a below-discomfort-threshold intensity with 25 Hz and a pulse width of 250 uS.

Interventions

Device: - Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation

tVNS will be performed by the application of an auricular electrode placed at the cymba concha of the left ear. The auricular electrode containing the anode will be applied with a conductive gel without prior disinfection. Once the electrode fits the cymba concha comfortably, the participant will lie down or take a position that is comfortable for them. Once in position, investigators initiate tVNS for 60 minutes with a below-discomfort-threshold intensity with 25 Hz and pulse width 250 uS. The electrical parameters will be modified accordingly to keep the below-discomfort threshold during the intervention.

Contact a Trial Team

If you are interested in learning more about this trial, find the trial site nearest to your location and contact the site coordinator via email or phone. We also strongly recommend that you consult with your healthcare provider about the trials that may interest you and refer to our terms of service below.

University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas

Status

Recruiting

Address

University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, Texas, 79968

Site Contact

Kosaku Aoyagi

[email protected]

915-747-8215