Personalized ear-based vagus nerve stimulation for atrial fibrillation
Biomarker-guided optimization of transcutaneous vagal stimulation for atrial fibrillation
This work sees whether blood and ECG markers can help tailor noninvasive ear vagus‑nerve stimulation to reduce atrial fibrillation episodes in people with paroxysmal AF.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oklahoma City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11249534 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I join, doctors will use a noninvasive ear device that sends brief electrical pulses to the vagus nerve and change the dose based on heart and blood markers. They'll monitor my heart rhythm with ECGs and look at signals such as P-wave alternans plus blood-based biomarkers to decide the best stimulation settings. The team builds on a prior trial that lowered AF burden with this device but found some people responded better than others. Over months of at‑home stimulation and clinic visits, they will match stimulation patterns to the biomarkers to see if personalized settings work more consistently.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with paroxysmal (intermittent) atrial fibrillation who can use a home transcutaneous vagus‑nerve stimulator and attend clinic visits for ECG checks and blood draws are the best candidates.
Not a fit: People with long‑standing persistent AF, those with incompatible implanted cardiac devices, or those unable to use or tolerate the stimulation device may not benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could reduce AF episodes for people who respond and help identify who is most likely to benefit from noninvasive vagus stimulation.
How similar studies have performed: A prior randomized trial from this group showed that chronic intermittent transcutaneous vagus stimulation cut AF burden compared with sham, but individual responses varied, so personalization is a next step.
Where this research is happening
Oklahoma City, United States
- University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr — Oklahoma City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stavrakis, Stavros — University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr
- Study coordinator: Stavrakis, Stavros
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.