Non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation (nVNS) and Cognition in Young Adult Vapers - A Pilot Study (nVNS)

March 5, 2026 updated by: Temple University

Vaping and Vagal Neuromodulation of Cognition

The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nNVS) on cognitive functioning in the users of e-cigarettes or vaping products. The investigators will use a digital wellness companion product (TRUVAGA™ device) that provides mild transcutaneous nVNS. The participants will be randomized to receive either a 2-min nNVS stimulation or control stimulation in the neck region followed by completion of three cognitive tests of attention and executive function.

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.

Detailed Description

Electronic cigarettes, also referred to as e-cigarettes or vapes were initially developed as a smoking cessation tool and considered less harmful, but the presence of nicotine in the vapes make them highly addictive. The use of E-cigarettes has dramatically increased among the youth and young adults in the last decade. While the risks associated with traditional, combustible cigarette smoking are "well-established," vaping also exposes individuals to nicotine which is highly addictive and it can have long-term detrimental effects on the brain. Impairments in cognitive processes including attention and executive functions are suggested to contribute to the development and maintenance of sustained nicotine use in addicts and improving these processes may have some benefits. One of the ascending neuromodulatory input system, the cholinergic system, is implicated in the regulation of attention and higher-order cognitive processes. The stimulation of peripheral vagus nerve is known to activate ascending neuromodulators in the brain including the cholinergic system. This pilot project will use a single blind between-subjects randomized design to investigate the effects of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nNVS) on attentional capacities in e-cigarette users. The study will involve administration of self-report surveys regarding vaping dependence and craving, measures of attention, impulsivity, anxiety and negative emotional states, and two quick behavioral tests (reaction time and lexical retrieval) to assess baseline measures of processing speed and executive function. For baseline processing speed assessment, the participants will complete a quick (3-5 min) simple and choice Reaction Time task on a computer prior to the intervention. The lexical retrieval efficiency will be assessed by 1-min Verbal Fluency Test prior to the intervention. Following this, the participants will be randomized to receive either a 2-min nNVS stimulation or control stimulation in the neck region using a portable TruvagaTM Plus device (electroCore). This digital device is a general health and wellness (Digital Health) product and is not intended to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent any disease. The subjects will complete three neuropsychological tests of attention and executive function (Attention Network Test, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, and Verbal Fluency Test) immediately after the intervention. The 1-min Verbal Fluency Test will be completed by the participants both before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the intervention. The specific goals of the study are: 1) To test the hypothesis that e-cigarette users given acute transcutaneous nNVS will perform better on tasks of attention as compared to e-cigarette users given control stimulation. 2): To test the hypothesis that cognitive benefits of nNVS in e-cigarette users will be associated with the degree of nicotine dependence and the magnitude of negative affective states.

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.
100

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

  • United States
    • Pennsylvania
      • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19122
        • Recruiting
        • Temple University

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

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Healthy young adults
  • Age range 18-25 years
  • Current or prior users of e-cigarettes

Exclusion Criteria:

Participants will be excluded from the study if they:

  • Have any rash, infection, swelling, cut, soreness, drug patch, surgical scar on the neck area
  • Have any implantable medical device in their body such as a pacemaker, hearing aid implant, or any other metallic/electronic device
  • Have any hearing or vision problems that are not corrected
  • Are pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Have any learning disabilities
  • Have a medical history of any of the following condition
  • Meningitis
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Seizure
  • Syncope
  • Schizophrenia
  • Schizoaffective disorder
  • Bulimia (eating disorder)
  • Other serious neurological illness

  • Have a medical history of any of the following cardiac disorder

    • Carotid atherosclerosis or carotid artery disease
    • Cervical vagotomy
    • First degree atrioventricular block or prolonged QT interval
  • Are taking any medications for to treat hypertension, arrhythmias, or are on calcium channel blockers

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: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

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: Active Stimulation
Participants in the active arm will receive a 2-min transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation using a portable hand-held digital wellness Truvaga Plus device by placing it on the anterolateral cervical area of the neck.
Device: Active nVNS
2-min transcutaneous nVNS stimulation using portable Truvaga Plus Device (electroCore Inc., Rockaway, NJ).
Experimental: Control Stimulation
Participants in the control arm will receive a 2-min transcutaneous stimulation using a portable hand-held digital wellness Truvaga Plus device by placing it on the posterolateral part of the neck (near the overlapping area between the trapezeus muscle and the shoulder).
Device: Control nVNS
2-min control stimulation using portable Truvaga Plus Device (electroCore Inc., Rockaway, NJ).

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
Efficiency of Attentional Networks using the Attention Network task (ANT)
Time Frame: Immediately after intervention
The Attentional Network Task (ANT) measures alerting, orienting, and executive attention that combines spatial cues with different flanker conditions. The efficiency of these three attentional networks is assessed by averaging reaction times and accuracy.
Immediately after intervention
Attention and Processing Speed using the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT)
Time Frame: Immediately after intervention
The Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) is a sensitive and reliable neuropsychological test for the evaluation of speed of information processing, scanning and tracking aspects of attention, and working memory. SDMT is a simple substitution task that uses a reference key for the participants to pair specific numbers with given geometric figures. The test score is calculated based on the number of correct responses in 90 seconds.
Immediately after intervention
Lexical Retrieval using the Verbal Fluency Task
Time Frame: Before and immediately after the intervention.
The Verbal Fluency Task is a neuropsychological measure of lexical retrieval efficiency and executive functioning. In this test, the participants are asked to name the words that starts with a specific alphabet (phonemic fluency) in 60 seconds. The verbal fluency score is calculated based on the number of correct/acceptable words produced within the allotted time.
Before and immediately after the intervention.

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.
Temple University

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: Vinay Parikh, PhD, Temple University
  • Principal Investigator: Jason Chein, PhD, Temple University
  • Principal Investigator: Tania Giovannetti, PhD, Temple University

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.
March 18, 2025

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.
February 9, 2027

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.
February 9, 2028

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).
January 27, 2025

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.
January 27, 2025

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.
January 31, 2025

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.
March 6, 2026

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.
March 5, 2026

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.
March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • IRB31783

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

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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