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NCT Number: NCT06009159

Vagus Nerve Stimulation(VNS) As Treatment For Fibromyalgia Patients

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a syndrome with clinical symptoms involving multiple systems. The efficacy of current treatments is inadequate, and more alternative modalities are needed for the management of FM patients. The parasympathetic vagus nerve innervates and integrates sensory, motor, and autonomic systems and has been suggested to play a role in pain modulation. The role of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as a treatment option for FM patients is yet to be investigated. The investigators propose to examine the hypothesis that vagus nerve stimulation could improve pain and related comorbid symptoms for FM patients.

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Key information

Age range

18 year–80 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

About this study

The main goal of this study is to generate preliminary data on the effect of VNS on FM symptoms. Specifically, the investigators will utilize a recently developed, non-invasive method of tVNS (transcutaneous VNS) via auricular branches of vagus nerve (ABVN). The investigators plan to conduct an 4-week clinical study with 60 subjects randomized into 2 groups(tVNS group and control group; 30 subjects in each group). The primary outcome measure will be pain intensity. The secondary outcome measures will be fatigue, sleep, and other health-related quality of life measure. These outcome measures will be made at baseline week 0 (before any intervention), and at the end of 4 weeks.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Subject is 18 to 80 years old, including both male and female subjects.
  • Subject has a documented diagnosis of FM for at least three months. This requirement is to avoid the uncertainty of an unstable pain condition and to minimize the study variation.
  • Subject has a pain score of 4 or above (numeric pain score: 0 - 10 from no pain to worst pain).

Exclusion criteria

  • Subject has current cardiac arrhythmia or had implanted cardiac pacemaker or AICD device.
  • Subject has major psychiatric disorder required hospitalization in the last 3 months.
  • Subject has active infection at the site of device application.
  • Subject has recurrent syncope symptoms within the past three months.
  • Subject is pregnant.
  • Subject has had VNS treatment within the past two months.

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Treatment and study plan

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation

Device

30 minutes stimulation, twice per day for 4 weeks

Primary outcomes

  1. A modified McGill Pain Questionnaire

    Time frame: at 0,4, weeks of the study,

    Pain intensity, 0-10 score, with 0 means no pain and 10 means worst pain

Secondary outcomes

  1. Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory

    Time frame: at 0,4,8 weeks of the study

    Fatigue level, 1-5 score, base on the statement, answer 1 means completely true and answer 5 means no, that is not true.

  2. Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale

    Time frame: at 0,4,8 weeks of the study

    sleep quality, score 1-6, base on the statement, answer 1 means all of the time, answer 6 means none of the time

  3. Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire

    Time frame: at 0,4,8 weeks of the study

    Fibromyalgia impact, 0-10, answer 0 means no impact, 10 means the most impact

  4. Medical Outcomes Study Questionnaire Short Form 36

    Time frame: at 0, 4, 8 weeks of the study

    Quality of life measure, answer in descriptive degree of impact to life from: not at all, slightly, moderately, severe, very severe.

  5. Blood inflammation marker

    Time frame: at 0, 4, 8 weeks of the study

    collect blood sample for cytokines level

  6. Assessment of gut microbiome changes through genomic phenotypic

    Time frame: at 0, 4, 8 weeks of the study

    collect stool sample to analyze bacterial composition and metabolomic profiles of gut microbiome

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Jianren Mao, M.D.

CONTACT

[email protected]

617-726-2338

Lucy Chen, M.D.

CONTACT

[email protected]

617-724-3466

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Massachusetts General Hospital

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Aug 24, 2023
Registry last updated
May 6, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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