Transcutaneous Cervical Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tcVNS) in JIA

Last updated: November 24, 2025
Sponsor: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Overall Status: Terminated

Phase

2

Condition

Joint Injuries

Inflammation

Treatment

Active tcVNS

Active tcVNS or Sham tcVNS

Sham tcVNS

Clinical Study ID

NCT05710640
DAIT AJA01
  • Ages 5-18
  • All Genders

Study Summary

The study is a multicenter, double-blind, sham-controlled trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of tcVNS on pain and inflammation associated with JIA. tcVNS is administered with a device that gives off mild electrical impulses through the skin to stimulate the vagus nerve. Part of the vagus nerve and its branches are located in the head and neck. For this study, the impulses will be administered using a small electrode at the cymba concha for participants receiving treatment with active tcVNS and at the neck for participants receiving sham stimulation. The electrode helps to conduct the stimulation through the skin. This stimulation triggers a chemical response through the nerves and has been found to be effective in reducing pain and inflammation in several diseases.

The primary objective of this study is to determine the effect of tcVNS on JIA ACR 50 in participants with active JIA. The components of the active and sham tcVNS devices, utilizing the Roscoe Medical TENS 7000, have been FDA 510(k)-cleared and have been determined by the IRB to be a nonsignificant risk device.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Participant is 5 through 18 years of age (inclusive) at screening.

  2. Regarding informed consent and compliance:

  3. If 5 through 6 years of age, the participant's guardian is willing and able tounderstand and provide informed consent and comply with study protocol.

  4. If 7 through 17 years of age, the participant is willing and able to signassent and comply with study protocol, and the participant's guardian iswilling and able to understand and provide informed consent and comply withstudy protocol.

  5. If 18 years of age, the participant is willing and able to understand andprovide informed consent and comply with study protocol.

  6. The participant has a Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) diagnosis meetingInternational League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) classification criteriawith one of the following subtypes:

  7. rheumatoid-factor negative polyarthritis

  8. rheumatoid-factor positive polyarthritis

  9. persistent oligoarthritis

  10. extended oligoarthritis

  11. psoriatic arthritis

  12. enthesitis-related arthritis

  13. systemic arthritis

  14. The participant has >=3 joints with active arthritis at screening

  15. If the participant is receiving therapy for JIA at screening, that therapy is stablefor the time period outlined below and is expected to remain stable for the durationof the study: a. stable dose for at least 1 week prior to screening: i. Oral steroids, <= 0.2 mg/kg/day with a maximum 10 mg/day dose b. stable dose for at least 2 weeks prior to screening: i. NSAIDs c. stable dose for at least 8 weeks prior to screening: i. adalimumab ii. anakinra iii. canakinumab iv. certolizumab pegol v. etanercept vi. golimumab vii. infliximab viii. leflunomide ix. methotrexate x. tocilizumab d. stable dose for at least 12 weeks prior to screening: i. abatacept

  16. If a female of child-bearing potential, the participant has a negative urinepregnancy test at screening

  17. If of reproductive potential, must agree to abstinence or effective methods of birthcontrol for the duration of the study

Exclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Other than NSAIDs or intra-articular injections, participant has been treated forJIA with lack of efficacy with:

  2. More than 2 different classes of therapies, or

  3. More than 3 medications in total

  4. Participant has received high-dose steroids (>=0.2 mg/kg/day) within the 28 daysprior to screening.

  5. Participant has had active systemic disease (fever, systemic rash) within the 3months prior to screening including any of the following lab manifestations atscreening:

  6. Ferritin >1000 ng/mL

  7. White blood cell (WBC) ≥15,000/mm^3

  8. Participant has had an active acute systemic infection within 2 weeks of screening.involving fever (100.4⁰F or higher) for more than 24 hours, requirement for systemicantibiotics or antivirals, GI symptoms lasting 48 hours or more, or the need to holdsecond line medications for JIA (methotrexate or biologic).

  9. Participant has a history of arrhythmia.

  10. Participant has been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

  11. Participant has received an intra-articular cortisone injection within the 28 daysprior to screening.

  12. Participant has received treatment with an investigational drug or device during the 28 days prior to screening or within five half-lives of the investigational drugprior to screening/baseline, whichever is the greater length of time.

  13. Participant has received chronic treatment with an anti-cholinergic medication,including over the counter medications.

  14. Participant has received treatment with rituximab:

  15. Within one year of screening

  16. At any time previously without documented B cell repletion

  17. Participant has a comorbid disease that has required treatment with corticosteroidswithin the past year.

  18. Participant has an implantable electronic device such as a pacemaker, defibrillator,hearing aid, cochlear implant, insulin pump or deep brain stimulator.

  19. Participant has used cutaneous vagus nerve stimulation within 12 weeks prior toscreening.

  20. Participant has received a live attenuated viral vaccine within 28 days prior toscreening or is expected to receive one during the study.

  21. Participant has any condition which, in the opinion of the investigator, wouldjeopardize the participant's safety following exposure to a study intervention.

  22. Participant has any past or current medical problems or findings from a physicalexamination or laboratory testing that are not listed above but which, in theopinion of the investigator, may pose additional risks from participation in thestudy, may interfere with the participant's ability to comply with studyrequirements, or may impact the quality or interpretation of the data obtained fromthe study.

Study Design

Total Participants: 18
Treatment Group(s): 3
Primary Treatment: Active tcVNS
Phase: 2
Study Start date:
June 27, 2023
Estimated Completion Date:
January 15, 2025

Study Description

AJA01 is a multicenter, double-blind, sham-controlled, 16-week trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of tcVNS for the treatment of JIA.

A total of 100 participants will be randomized 1:1 to treatment with active tcVNS at the cymba concha or sham stimulation at the neck for 5 minutes once a day for 8 weeks. During this time, participants/parents, and participant assessors will be blinded to treatment assignment; treatments on clinic visit days will be conducted in the clinic under the supervision of a trained, unblinded staff member, and participants will only discuss the stimulation procedure with this staff member. An unblinded site investigator will follow up on any safety events. The double-blind, sham-controlled 8-week period will be followed by an 8-week open-label period in which all participants will receive treatment with active tcVNS at the cymba concha once a day for 5 minutes. Participants and their parents will be told it is likely they will feel the stimulation, but it should not be painful.

There are 10 visits for the study, 8 clinic visits and 2 tele-visits. Participants will have physical exams with joint assessments, lab tests, and questionnaire completion by the physicians and participants at each clinic visit. Participants will be trained by the unblinded coordinator to perform stimulation during the clinic visit following the randomization. Participants will perform the stimulation at home for 5 minutes daily. Participants will complete a diary to document the daily stimulation.

Connect with a study center

  • University of California San Francisco

    San Francisco, California 94158
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of California San Francisco

    San Francisco 5391959, California 5332921 94158
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of California San Francisco School of Medicine: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Rheumatology

    San Francisco 5391959, California 5332921 94158
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Nemours Children's Health: Department of Pediatric Rheumatology

    Orlando, Florida 32827
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Nemours Children's Health: Department of Pediatric Rheumatology

    Orlando 4167147, Florida 4155751 32827
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Emory University, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta- Center for Advanced Pediatrics: Division of Rheumatology

    Atlanta, Georgia 30329
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Chicago, Comer Children's Hospital

    Chicago, Illinois 60637
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Indiana University

    Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Indiana University

    Indianapolis 4259418, Indiana 4921868 46202
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Indiana University Medical Center: Riley Hospital for Children Department of Pediatric Rheumatology

    Indianapolis 4259418, Indiana 4921868 46202
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Cohen Children's Medical Center, Northwell Health

    Lake Success, New York 11040
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Hassenfield Children's Hospital at NYU Langone

    New York, New York 10016
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Hospital for Special Surgery

    New York, New York 10021
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Stephen D. Hassenfield Children's Center at NYU Langone Health

    New York, New York 10016
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Cohen Children's Medical Center, Northwell Health

    Lake Success 5123853, New York 5128638 11040
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Cohen Children's Medical Center: Pediatric Rheumatology

    Lake Success 5123853, New York 5128638 11040
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Stephen D. Hassenfield Children's Center at NYU Langone Health

    New York 5128581, New York 5128638 10016
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • University of Pittsburgh

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15224
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Division of Pediatric Rheumatology at the University of Utah School of Medicine and Primary Children's Hospital

    Salt Lake City, Utah 84132
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Division of Pediatric Rheumatology at the University of Utah School of Medicine and Primary Children's Hospital

    Salt Lake City 5780993, Utah 5549030 84132
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Seattle Children's Hospital

    Seattle, Washington 98105
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Seattle Children's Hospital

    Seattle 5809844, Washington 5815135 98105
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Seattle Children's Hospital: Rheumatology Clinic

    Seattle 5809844, Washington 5815135 98105
    United States

    Site Not Available

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