Status:

ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION

tVNS and Obesity-related Mechanisms

Lead Sponsor:

University of Bonn

Conditions:

Overweight/Obesity (BMI: 27 and 35 kg/m2)

Eligibility:

All Genders

18-40 years

Phase:

NA

Brief Summary

The overarching goal of the project is to assess whether transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS) induced reduction of central and peripheral inflammation is associated with tVNS induced changes ...

Detailed Description

Participants will receive high intensity or low intensity tVNS in a single-blind, randomized, crossover design. Each stimulation (high and low intensity) will be applied over 14 days (effective minimu...

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

  • Between 18 and 40 years of age
  • BMI between 27 and 35.0 kg/m2
  • Legally valid declaration of consent

Exclusion

  • Current or past diagnosis of brain injury/surgery or neurological condition with permanent effects, epilepsy, stroke, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe substance use disorder, heart disease that precludes use of tVNS, diabetes (type 1 or 2), chronic inflammatory diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, etc.)
  • Following diagnosis within 12 months before start of experiment: obsessive compulsive disorder, somatic symptom disorder, eating disorder
  • Considerable weight change (\>10%) within the last 6 months before the experiment
  • Elevated BMI is due to fat-free mass (e.g., in athletes)
  • Medication or Electroconvulsive therapy to treat a mental, metabolic, or neurological disorder (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, Glucagon-like Peptide-1 agonists) currently or in the last 3 months (hormone treatments that normalize function are not excluded)
  • Anti-inflammatory medication currently or in the last 3 month
  • Contraindications for MRI (e.g., metal implants, claustrophobia)
  • Contraindications for tVNS (e.g., piercings, sore or diseased skin areas on the outer right ear)
  • active implants (e.g., pacemaker), cerebral shunt
  • Pregnant and breastfeeding women

Key Trial Info

Start Date :

April 8 2025

Trial Type :

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation :

ESTIMATED

End Date :

March 31 2027

Estimated Enrollment :

60 Patients enrolled

Trial Details

Trial ID

NCT06954844

Start Date

April 8 2025

End Date

March 31 2027

Last Update

May 2 2025

Active Locations (1)

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1

Section of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn

Bonn, Germany, 53127