Status:

RECRUITING

External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation for Children With ASD + ADHD to Reduce Elevated Symptoms

Lead Sponsor:

University of California, San Francisco

Conditions:

Attention Deficit Disorder With Hyperactivity (ADHD)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Eligibility:

All Genders

7-14 years

Phase:

NA

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if external trigeminal nerve stimulation (eTNS) works to treat ADHD symptoms in children on the autism spectrum (ASD). It will also learn about the efficacy...

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

  • Confirmed clinician diagnosis of ASD according to DSM-5 criteria, corroborated by prior testing (or obtained in study screening) with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) with or without the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R)
  • IQ \> 70 as corroborated by prior testing (or obtained in study screening) with the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence Scale (WASI)
  • Confirmed diagnosis of ADHD according to DSM-5 criteria with minimum ADHD-RS score of \> 24
  • Stable on current medications for a minimum of 4 weeks before baseline
  • Ability to complete protocol testing
  • Both the child participant and their primary caregiver must be fluent in English (speaking, reading, and understanding), as the questionnaires and assessment tools used in this study have been validated only in English.

Exclusion

  • Current major depression, history of psychosis, bipolar disorder, elevated risk of self-harm
  • History of moderate to severe coarse brain injury
  • Active medical illness expected to interfere with study assessments
  • Presence of implanted stimulator (e.g., vagal nerve stimulator)
  • Active dermatologic condition likely to interfere with eTNS electrode wearability
  • Sleep disorder likely to interfere with nightly eTNS in the opinion of the study physician
  • Inability to communicate discomfort or pain
  • Current and anticipated continued use of antipsychotic or stimulant medication

Key Trial Info

Start Date :

October 6 2025

Trial Type :

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation :

ESTIMATED

End Date :

January 31 2028

Estimated Enrollment :

60 Patients enrolled

Trial Details

Trial ID

NCT07214545

Start Date

October 6 2025

End Date

January 31 2028

Last Update

October 9 2025

Active Locations (1)

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1

UCSF Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry Building

San Francisco, California, United States, 94107