Using a vibrating bracelet to help stop nail biting

Habit Awareness Device for Treatment of Onychophagia

NA · Weill Medical College of Cornell University · NCT06111729

This study is testing whether a vibrating bracelet can help adults who bite their nails stop the habit and improve their quality of life.

Quick facts

PhaseNA
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment10 (estimated)
Ages18 Years to 95 Years
SexAll
SponsorWeill Medical College of Cornell University (other)
Locations1 site (New York, New York)
Trial IDNCT06111729 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This clinical trial investigates the effectiveness of a vibrating bracelet designed to reduce nail-biting behavior in adults diagnosed with onychophagia. Participants will wear the bracelet for 12 weeks, which vibrates gently whenever it detects nail-biting, prompting users to become more aware of their habit. An accompanying app will track the frequency of vibrations and monitor changes in nail-biting behavior over the study period. The goal is to determine if this device can significantly decrease the incidence of nail biting and improve participants' quality of life.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are adults aged 18-95 who have been diagnosed with onychophagia.

Not a fit: Patients who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or nursing may not receive benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this intervention could provide a non-invasive method for individuals to reduce nail-biting and its associated negative impacts.

How similar studies have performed: While the specific use of a vibrating bracelet for nail-biting is novel, similar behavioral interventions have shown promise in other contexts.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients diagnosed with onychophagia
2. Must understand and voluntarily sign an informed consent form
3. Must be aged 18-95 years at the time of consent
4. Must be able to adhere to the study visit schedule and other protocol requirements

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Subject is unable to provide written informed consent for any reason.
2. Subject is sensitive or allergic to any of the elements included in this study.
3. Subject is unable to complete the required pain dairy.
4. Subject is pregnant, planning pregnancy, or nursing.
5. Subject does not have a compatible personal device with either IOS 13.0 or greater or Android version 6.0 or greater.

Where this trial is running

New York, New York

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Conditions: Nail Biting

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.