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Burn InjuryNCT07566871

Effect of Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Burn Patients

A study testing Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Conventional Physiotherapy in people with Burn Injury, run by Fenerbahce University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

Enrolling by invitation

Enrolling by invitation. The study team selects and invites participants, usually from an existing group of patients.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

This study will evaluate the effects of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) in adults with burn injuries. Burn patients may experience anxiety, poor sleep quality, pain, itching, and changes in autonomic nervous system function during recovery. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 years
Conditions the study is for
Burn Injury
What is being tested?
Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Conventional Physiotherapy
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
60 participants
Where
1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
Study dates
4 May 2026to Sep 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Adults aged 18 to 65 years
  • Patients who have completed the acute phase of burn injury
  • Burn injury occurred at least 1 month and no more than 1 year before enrollment
  • Second- or third-degree burn involving 5% to 30% of total body surface area
  • Presence of at least one complaint related to anxiety, sleep quality, pain, or itching
  • Able to read and understand Turkish
  • Willing to participate in the study
  • Written informed consent provided

Who cannot join

  • Infection, ulcer, or scar tissue on the auricle
  • Burn injury in the head and neck region preventing application of the device over the auricular branch of the vagus nerve
  • Metallic implant in the skull
  • Excessive sensitivity, injury, or inflammation in the ear
  • Chronic pulmonary disease and/or chronic cardiac disease
  • Resting heart rate below 60 beats per minute
Show all 9Show fewer
  • Presence of a pacemaker, cochlear implant, or similar implanted device
  • Uncontrolled hypertension
  • Lack of cooperation or inability to comply with study procedures

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
  • Kartal Dr. Lütfi Kırdar City Hospital Burn Unit

    Istanbul, Kartal, 34865

Other trials in Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Official title: The Effect of Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Anxiety, Sleep Quality, Pain, Itching, and Autonomic Function in Burn Patients

This study will evaluate the effects of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) in adults with burn injuries. Burn patients may experience anxiety, poor sleep quality, pain, itching, and changes in autonomic nervous system function during recovery.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The intervention group will receive conventional physiotherapy plus nVNS, and the control group will receive conventional physiotherapy only. Both groups will receive treatment 5 days per week for a total of 10 sessions. nVNS will be applied through electrodes placed on the external ear for 20 minutes per session.

Anxiety, sleep quality, pain, itching, and autonomic function will be assessed before and after the treatment period. Autonomic function will be evaluated using heart rate variability measurements. The results will help determine whether nVNS may be a useful supportive method in the rehabilitation of burn patients.

Read the detailed description

This study is a randomized controlled experimental study designed to investigate the effects of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) on anxiety, sleep quality, pain, itching, and autonomic nervous system function in adults with burn injuries.

The study population will consist of patients followed at the Burn Outpatient Clinic of Kartal Dr. Lütfi Kırdar City Hospital in Istanbul, Türkiye. Eligible participants will be adults aged 18 to 65 years who have completed the acute phase of burn injury, whose burn injury occurred between 1 month and 1 year before enrollment, and who have second- or third-degree burns involving 5% to 30% of total body surface area. Participants must also report at least one complaint related to anxiety, sleep quality, pain, or itching and provide written informed consent.

A total of 60 participants are planned to be included. Participants will be randomly assigned in equal numbers to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will receive conventional physiotherapy and nVNS. The control group will receive conventional physiotherapy only. Both groups will receive treatment 5 days per week for a total of 10 sessions. Conventional physiotherapy will be planned according to each participant's needs and may include strengthening exercises, stretching exercises, balance exercises, active and passive range-of-motion exercises, and interventions for edema. Each conventional physiotherapy session will last approximately 45 minutes.

In the intervention group, nVNS will be applied using electrodes positioned on the tragus and the anterior and posterior surfaces of the concha of the right and left external ear. Stimulation will be delivered continuously for 20 minutes with a biphasic asymmetric waveform, a pulse duration of 300 microseconds, and a frequency of 25 Hz. The stimulation intensity will be increased in 0.1 mA steps until the sensory threshold is reached. If a participant feels unwell during stimulation, the procedure will be stopped.

Outcome assessments will be performed before treatment and after completion of the 10th session. Anxiety will be assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Pain will be assessed using a visual analog scale. Itching severity will be assessed using the 12-Item Pruritus Severity Scale. Autonomic nervous system function will be evaluated using heart rate variability measurements recorded with a Polar H10 heart rate sensor and analyzed with Kubios HRV software.

The study aims to determine whether adding nVNS to conventional physiotherapy provides additional benefits for psychological symptoms, sleep quality, pain, itching, and autonomic function in burn rehabilitation.

Conditions
Burn Injury
Being tested
Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation, Conventional Physiotherapy
Keywords
Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation, Burn injury, Burn rehabilitation, Anxiety, Sleep quality, Pain, Pruritus
Medical subject headings
Burns, Anxiety Disorders, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders, Pain, Pruritus

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve StimulationDevice

    Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation will be applied using a Vagustim device. Electrodes will be placed on the tragus and the anterior and posterior surfaces of the concha of both ears. Stimulation will be applied continuously for 20 minutes per session with a biphasic asymmetric waveform, a pulse duration of 300 microseconds, and a frequency of 25 Hz. Stimulation intensity will be increased in 0.1 mA steps until the sensory threshold is reached. The procedure will be stopped if the participant feels unwell.

  • Conventional PhysiotherapyOther

    Conventional physiotherapy will be planned according to each participant's needs and will be provided by a physiotherapist. The program may include strengthening exercises, stretching exercises, balance exercises, active and passive range-of-motion exercises, and interventions for edema. Sessions will be performed 5 days per week for a total of 10 sessions, with each session lasting approximately 45 minutes.

Study groups in NCT07566871
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Conventional Physiotherapy Plus Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve StimulationExperimentalParticipants in this group will receive conventional physiotherapy plus non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation. Treatment will be provided 5 days per week for a total of 10 sessions. Conventional physiotherapy will last approximately 45 minutes per session. Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation will be applied to the external ear for 20 minutes per session.
Receives: Device: Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation; Other: Conventional Physiotherapy
Conventional PhysiotherapyActive comparatorParticipants in this group will receive conventional physiotherapy only. Treatment will be provided 5 days per week for a total of 10 sessions. Conventional physiotherapy will be planned according to each participant's needs and may include strengthening exercises, stretching exercises, balance exercises, active and passive range-of-motion exercises, and interventions for edema.
Receives: Other: Conventional Physiotherapy

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Anxiety Level

    Anxiety level will be assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory. The scale includes 21 items scored from 0 to 3, with a total score ranging from 0 to 63. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety severity.

    Measured: Baseline and after completion of 10 treatment sessions, up to 2 weeks

  2. Change in Sleep Quality

    Sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The scale evaluates sleep quality and sleep disturbances over the previous month. The total score ranges from 0 to 21, and higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality.

    Measured: Baseline and after completion of 10 treatment sessions, up to 2 weeks

  3. Change in Pain Intensity

    Pain intensity will be assessed using a visual analog scale. Participants will mark their pain level on a 100-mm line, where higher scores indicate greater pain intensity.

    Measured: Baseline and after completion of 10 treatment sessions, up to 2 weeks

  4. Change in Pruritus Severity

    Pruritus severity will be assessed using the 12-Item Pruritus Severity Scale. The scale evaluates multiple aspects of itching, including location, duration, frequency, intensity, scratching behavior, emotional effects, sleep disturbance, daily activity effects, and quality-of-life impact. Higher scores indicate more severe itching.

    Measured: Baseline and after completion of 10 treatment sessions, up to 2 weeks

  5. Change in Root Mean Square of Successive Differences

    Autonomic nervous system function will be assessed using the root mean square of successive differences between normal RR intervals derived from heart rate variability analysis. RR interval data will be recorded with a Polar H10 heart rate sensor during a 5-minute resting measurement and analyzed using Kubios HRV software. The root mean square of successive differences will be reported in milliseconds.

    Measured: Baseline and after completion of 10 treatment sessions, up to 2 weeks

  6. Change in Standard Deviation of Normal-to-Normal Intervals

    Autonomic nervous system function will be assessed using the standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals derived from heart rate variability analysis. RR interval data will be recorded with a Polar H10 heart rate sensor during a 5-minute resting measurement and analyzed using Kubios HRV software. The standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals will be reported in milliseconds.

    Measured: Baseline and after completion of 10 treatment sessions, up to 2 weeks

  7. Change in Low-Frequency/High-Frequency Ratio

    Autonomic nervous system function will be assessed using the low-frequency/high-frequency ratio derived from heart rate variability analysis. RR interval data will be recorded with a Polar H10 heart rate sensor during a 5-minute resting measurement and analyzed using Kubios HRV software. The low-frequency/high-frequency ratio will be reported as a ratio.

    Measured: Baseline and after completion of 10 treatment sessions, up to 2 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted5 May 2026
  2. Study start4 May 2026
  3. Primary completionSep 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completionSep 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two parallel groups. The intervention group will receive conventional physiotherapy plus non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation, while the control group will receive conventional physiotherapy only. Both groups will receive treatment 5 days per week for a total of 10 sessions.
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
60 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07566871
Sponsor's protocol ID
KartalHosp
Status last verified
Jul 2026
First submitted
28 Apr 2026
Last updated
7 Jul 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Individual participant data will not be shared because the dataset will contain sensitive health-related information from burn patients. Data will be used only by the research team for the purposes approved by the ethics committee, while maintaining participant confidentiality.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Conventional Physiotherapy in people with Burn Injury, run by Fenerbahce University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 9 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Anxiety Level (time frame: Baseline and after completion of 10 treatment sessions, up to 2 weeks). The study lists 7 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 7 Jul 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 26 Oct 2026.

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