Modulating Inflammation in Neuro-Trauma (MINT)

March 27, 2026 updated by: Michael McGinity, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

MINT: Modulating Inflammation in Neuro-Trauma

MINT is a single-site, prospective, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled pilot trial evaluating the safety and feasibility of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) in patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (GCS 3-12). Participants will be randomized to receive either active taVNS or sham stimulation using the same device. The primary objective is to assess the safety and feasibility of taVNS implementation in the acute TBI setting. Secondary objectives include exploratory measurement of serum inflammatory and neuronal injury biomarkers and assessment of functional outcome using the Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale at hospital discharge.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet 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

MINT is a pilot randomized controlled trial designed to establish the safety and feasibility of taVNS in acute moderate to severe TBI prior to a larger efficacy trial. Sixteen patients with GCS 3-12 admitted to University Hospital, San Antonio will be randomized 1:1 to active taVNS or sham stimulation. Patients entering the University Hospital trauma bay who are diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) will be prescreened according to inclusion/exclusion criteria for entrance into this study. Participants will be randomized to receive either treatment with active taVNS or sham treatment. A blood draw will be performed prior to initiating auricular vagus nerve stimulation.

Patients will undergo standard of care treatment according to attending physicians, and the investigators will continue taVNS treatment during the course of the patients' admissions. The control group will undergo sham stimulation using the same device placed at the same location. Both active and sham stimulations will be administered under the supervision of study staff, and both patients and treating clinicians will be blinded to group assignment. Patients will be stimulated twice daily with periodic blood draws for up to 7 days.

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.
16

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 Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Texas
      • San Antonio, Texas, United States, 78229
      • San Antonio, Texas, United States, 78229
        • University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

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
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18-75 years old
  • Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) Score 3-12
  • Expected Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay > 48 hours
  • Presenting with acute Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) within 24 hours

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant
  • Any electrical implanted device
  • Immunomodulatory medication
  • Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) patients
  • Autoimmune disease
  • Known cancer immunotherapy
  • Past medical history of symptomatic bradycardia
  • Penetrating brain injury
  • Clinical team assessment of prognosis and imminent risk of death such as Decision to withdraw life-sustaining measures
  • Current incarceration
  • Trauma/Laceration to the left ear

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: Quadruple

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: Treatment group taVNS
Treatment with transauricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) after admission to trauma with a traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Device: Nurosym taVNS
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that electrically stimulates the auricular branch of the vagus nerve via electrodes placed on the tragus of the ear.
Other Names:
  • Vagal nerve stimulator
Sham Comparator: Control group
The control group will undergo sham stimulation using the same device placed at the same location with a brief, low level stimulation that tapers over 30 seconds.
Device: Nurosym (sham)
Patients will have the device placed on their tragus and will receive a low level of stimulation that tapers to zero over 30 seconds.

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
Number of Adverse Events
Time Frame: Baseline to study end (approximately 7 days)
Frequency of adverse events related to tsVNS will be assessed through systematic monitoring
Baseline to study end (approximately 7 days)
Feasibility of recruitment
Time Frame: Baseline
Proportion of eligible patients who consent to participate in the study, protocol adherence, and device tolerability.
Baseline

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
Change in Interleuken-6 (IL-6) Biomarker Level
Time Frame: Baseline to study end (approximately 7 days)
Blood tests will be performed to provide IL-6 levels
Baseline to study end (approximately 7 days)
Change in Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels
Time Frame: Baseline to study end (approximately 7 days)
Blood tests will be performed to provide GFAP levels
Baseline to study end (approximately 7 days)
Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale
Time Frame: Baseline to study end (approximately 7 days)
The Glasgow Outcome Scale - Extended (GOS-E) is an 8-point ordinal scale assessing functional outcome following traumatic brain injury, ranging from 1 (death) to 8 (upper good recovery). It categorizes patients across levels of disability including vegetative state, severe disability, moderate disability, and good recovery, with each category subdivided into upper and lower levels. It will be administered at hospital discharge via structured interview.
Baseline to study end (approximately 7 days)

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.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

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.
Parasym Ltd.

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: Michael McGinity, MD, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

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 (Estimated)

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.
May 1, 2026

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.
January 1, 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.
March 1, 2027

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).
February 23, 2026

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.
March 27, 2026

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.
April 3, 2026

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.
April 3, 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 27, 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.
February 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.
  • STUDY00002468

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

After primary publication, de-identified data may be shared with other researchers upon reasonable request, in accordance with NIH data sharing policies and procedures described in the informed consent document.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

At study completion after data analysis are complete and a publication is accepted to a journal.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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