Non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Reduce Inflammation and Brain Injury Blood Biomarkers Following an Acute Ischemic Stroke
Neuromodulation Using Vagus Nerve Stimulation Following Ischemic Stroke as Therapeutic Adjunct 2
Washington University School of Medicine
65 participants
Feb 23, 2026
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
This is a randomized open-label, with blinded outcome pilot study to evaluate the effect on inflammatory and brain injury laboratory values and explore clinical outcomes in patients who present with ischemic strokes due to large vessel occlusions and are treated with either current accepted management, or accepted management in addition to transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria1
- Adult patients who present with acute ischemic strokes due to large vessel occlusions
Exclusion Criteria9
- \<18 years old
- patients with presumed chronic large vessel occlusions
- NIHSS\<6
- pre-morbid modified Rankin score (mRS) \>2
- unable to initiate treatment under 24 hours from symptom discovery
- Chronic or acute infection, Recent surgery, active immune disease
- life expectancy \<3 months
- patients' undergoing active cancer or immunosuppressive/modulating therapy
- patients with sustained bradycardia on arrival with a heart rate \<50 beats per minute.
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Interventions
Stimulus of the auricular branch of the vagal nerve with the transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation.
Patients assigned to the controls arm will have no electricity applied to the Auricular Branch of the Vagus Nerve.
Locations(1)
View Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov
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NCT07404852