NCT05441774

Stimulating Compassion UsingTranscutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Completed NA Last updated 23 May 2023

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Active transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in Healthy Volunteers in 120 participants. Completed in 15 March 2023.

Timeline

27 June 2022

Primary endpoint
15 March 2023

15 March 2023

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	University College, London
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	factorial
Masking	single
Primary purpose	basic science
Enrollment	120
Start date	27 June 2022
Primary completion	15 March 2023
Estimated completion	15 March 2023
Sites	1 location across United Kingdom

Drugs / interventions tested

• Active transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation
• Active self-compassion imagery
• Sham transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation
• Sham mental imagery

Conditions studied

• Healthy Volunteers — all drugs for Healthy Volunteers →

Sponsor

University College, London

Who can join

Adults 18 to 35, any sex, with Healthy Volunteers. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

This experimental proof-of-concept study in healthy volunteers investigates whether a specific form of self-relating, namely, self-compassion, can be controlled through non-invasive stimulation of the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous system (the 'rest and digest' system) and its fibers are spread throughout the upper body, face, and neck, including a branch that innervates parts of the external ear (e.g. the tragus), close to the surface of the skin. This allows the 'auricular branch' of the vagus nerve to be readily stimulated electrically. Importantly, this can be achieved non-invasively using a transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) device. The investigators will test the effects of tVNS alone and in combination with a meditation-like technique that is intended to increase participants' feelings of self-compassion (self-compassion imagery). In particular, the investigators will assess participants' experience of self-compassion and self-criticism, as well as other outcome measures, before and during stimulation, and again after they perform the self-compassionate imagery exercise. These effects will be compared to three other groups: one that receives tVNS along with a control (sham) imagery procedure, another that receives sham tVNS and self-compassion imagery, and a final group that receives sham tVNS and sham imagery. It is expected that the group that receives active tVNS and the self-compassion imagery exercise will experience the largest average increases in self-compassion and decreases in self-criticism. The findings of this study will help us better understand the role of the vagus nerve in complex cognitive-emotional experiences - like compassion - and may also motivate the development of bioelectronic stimulation methods that can be used alongside psychological techniques for improving self-compassion and reducing self-criticism, particularly among people with certain psychological disorders.

Publications & conference data

2 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. A bioelectronic route to compassion: Rationale and study protocol for combining transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) with compassionate mental imagery.
   Kamboj SK, Peniket M, Simeonov L. · · 2023 · cited 6× · PMID 36913378 · DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0282861
2. Electroceutical enhancement of self-compassion training using transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation: results from a preregistered fully factorial randomized controlled trial.
   Kamboj SK, Peniket M, Norman J, Robshaw R, et al · · 2025 · PMID 40755139 · DOI 10.1017/s0033291725101013