TAES for FPVCs: a Pragmatic, Randomized Controlled Trial

July 16, 2025 updated by: Jiani Wu, Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

Efficacy and Safety of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Frequent Premature Ventricular Complexes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This prospective, randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (TAVNS) for patients with frequent premature ventricular coomplexes (FPVCs). Ninety participants will be randomized to TAVNS group and sham-TAVNS group with the ratio of 1:1. They will receive TAVNS plus usual care or sham-TAVNS plus usual care for 6 weeks, and then be followed up for 12 weeks after the treatment. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants with a 50% decrease of the 24 hour (24h) premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) after 6-week treatment. Secondary outcomes include the proportion of participants with a 75% decrease of the 24h-PVCs; the decrease from baseline of 24h-PVCs, total 24h-heartbeat, and the frequency of supraventricular arrhythmia; the score change from baseline in PVCs-related symptoms; the score change from baseline in SAS and SDS. Subgroup analyses will be performed in age, gender, and the severity of PVCs. Safety assessment will be documented during the whole trial.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
90

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • China
    • Beijing
      • Beijing, Beijing, China, 100053
        • Recruiting
        • Guang'anmen Hospita, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences
        • Contact:
          • Jiani Wu
          • Phone Number: +8613426116653

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosed as frequent premature ventricular contractions;
  • 2 ≤ Lown level ≤ 4A;
  • 18 ≤ age ≤ 75;
  • Volunteered to participant

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Severe valvular disease, congenital heart disease, pericardial disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, unstable angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, myocarditis, aneurysm, congestive heart failure decompensation period (NYHA grade III or VI), cardiogenic shock, cerebrovascular disease, hematopoietic system disease, severe mental disease;
  • Bradycardia, including pathologic sinus node syndrome, degree II or greater atrioventricular block;
  • Those who have already had pacemaker or percutaneous coronary intervention, or who plan to have pacemaker or percutaneous coronary intervention;
  • Pregnant or lactating women;
  • Local sensory deficit, or allergic to current;
  • May be allergic to percutaneous patches；
  • Blood pressure ≤ 90/60 mmHg;
  • Those who have participated in other clinical trials within 3 months.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: TAVNS plus usual care
TAVNS on Erzhong and Xin (Auricular Acupuncture Point with Vagus nerve distribution); Usual Care: usual medicine treatment for PVCs.
Device: Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (TAVNS)
Patients in TAVNS group will receive TAVNS and usual care. TAVNS will be performed on Erzhong and Xin (Auricular Acupuncture Point with vagus nerve distribution) for 6 weeks by using the Huato type SDZ-V stimulator; Usual Care: usual medicine treatment for PVCs.
Placebo Comparator: Sham-TAVNS plus usual care

Sham-TAVNS on Erzhong and Xin (Auricular Acupuncture Point); the same acupoints as the treatment group without any current.

Usual Care: usual medicine treatment for PVCs.
Device: Sham Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Sham-TAVNS)
Patients in sham-TAVNS group will receive sham-TAVNS and usual care. Sham-TAVNS will be also performed on Erzhong and Xin (Auricular Acupuncture Point with vegas nerve stimulation) for 6 weeks by using a special Huato type SDZ-V stimulator. We cut the inner electric wire of the stimulator; therefore, there is no current output. Usual Care: usual medicine treatment for PVCs.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
the proportion of participants with a 50% decrease of PVCs from baseline
Time Frame: week 6
The PVCs will be assessed by a 24-hour Holter monitoring. The investigators will calculate the decrease of PVCs between baseline and week 6 (at the end of the treatment), then we will obtain the proportion of patients with a 50% decrease.
week 6

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
the proportion of participants with a 50% decrease of PVCs from baseline
Time Frame: week 18
The PVCs will be assessed by a 24-hour Holter monitoring. The investigators will calculate the decrease of PVCs between baseline and week 18 (at the end of the follow-up period), then we will obtain the proportion of patients with a 50% decrease.
week 18
the proportion of participants with a 75% decrease of PVCs from baseline
Time Frame: week 6, week 18
The PVCs will be assessed by a 24-hour Holter monitoring. The investigators will calculate the decrease of PVCs between baseline and week 6/18, then we will obtain the proportion of patients with a 75% decrease.
week 6, week 18
the change from baseline in PVCs
Time Frame: week 6, week 18
The PVCs will be assessed by a 24-hour Holter monitoring. The investigators will calculate the decrease of PVCs between baseline and week 6/18.
week 6, week 18
the change from baseline in total cardiac impulse
Time Frame: week 6, week 18
The total cardiac impulse will be assessed by a 24-hour Holter monitoring. The investigators will calculate the change of total cardiac impulse between baseline and week 6/18.
week 6, week 18
the change from baseline in supraventricular premature contractions
Time Frame: week 6, week 18
The change from baseline in supraventricular premature contractions will be assessed by a 24-hour Holter monitoring. The investigators will calculate the change of supraventricular premature contractions between baseline and week 6/18.
week 6, week 18
the score change from baseline in the symptom of palpitation
Time Frame: week 6, week 18.
The symptom of palpitation will be assessed by a 10-scale VAS from 0 to 10, a higher score indicates a more severe symptom of palpitation. The investigators will calculate the score change of palpitation between baseline and week 6/18.
week 6, week 18.
the score change from baseline in the symptom of chest tightness
Time Frame: week 6, week 18.
The symptom of chest tightness will be assessed by a 10-scale VAS from 0 to 10, a higher score indicates a more severe symptom of chest tightness. The investigators will calculate the score change of chest tightness between baseline and week 6/18.
week 6, week 18.
the score change from baseline in the symptom of dizziness
Time Frame: week 6, week 18.
The symptom of dizziness will be assessed by a 10-scale VAS from 0 to 10, a higher score indicates a more severe symptom of dizziness. The investigators will calculate the score change of dizziness between baseline and week 6/18.
week 6, week 18.
the score change from baseline in the symptom of insomnia
Time Frame: week 6, week 18.
The symptom of insomnia will be assessed by a 10-scale VAS from 0 to 10, a higher score indicates a more severe symptom of insomnia. The investigators will calculate the score change of insomnia between baseline and week 6/18.
week 6, week 18.
the change of the proportion of participants with moderate/severe symptoms of palpitation, chest tightness, dizziness or insomnia from baseline
Time Frame: week 6, week 18.
The symptom of palpitation/chest tightness/dizziness/insomnia will be assessed by a 10-scale VAS from 0 to 10. Score 4-6 are defined as the moderate level, Score 7-10 are defined as the severe level. The investigators will calculate the change of the proportion of patients with the moderate/severe symptoms between baseline and week 6/18.
week 6, week 18.
the score change from baseline in the SAS
Time Frame: week 6, week 18.
Self Anxiety Scale (SAS) contains 20 items scored from 25 to 100. Score 50-59 was classified as mild anxiety; Score 60-69 as moderate anxiety, and score ≥ 70 as severe anxiety.
week 6, week 18.
the score change from baseline in the SDS
Time Frame: week 6, week 18.
Self Depression Scale (SDS) contains 20 items scored from 25 to 100. Score 53-62 was classified as mild depression; Score 63-72 as moderate depression, and score ≥ 73 as severe depression.
week 6, week 18.
the score change from baseline in SF-36
Time Frame: week 6, week 18.

The SF-36 questionnaire contains eight scales with two measures: physical and mental health. The physical health includes four scales of physical functioning (PF), role-physical (RF), bodily pain (BP), and general health (GH). The mental health is composed of vitality (VT), social functioning (SF), role-emotional (RE), and mental health (MH).

SF-36 scores from 0 to 100, higher scores indicate better health status.
week 6, week 18.

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
subgroup analysis of ages
Time Frame: week 6
Subgroup analysis will be performed in the primary outcome. The investigators will classify the patients with two subgroups by age: ≤40 years and > 40 years.
week 6
subgroup analysis of gender
Time Frame: week 6
Subgroup analysis will be performed in the primary outcome. The investigators will classify the patients with two subgroups by gender: male and female.
week 6
subgroup analysis of the severity of PVCs
Time Frame: week 6
Subgroup analysis will be performed in the primary outcome. The investigators will classify the patients with three subgroups by the severity of PVCs through Lown: level 2, level 3, and level 4A
week 6
the proportion of participants with adverse events
Time Frame: week 6, week 18
Safety assessment, The investigators will calculate the adverse events during the whole study.
week 6, week 18

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
China Association for Science and Technology

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Jiani Wu, Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 4, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 30, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 30, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 4, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 20, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 16, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • TAESforFPVC

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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