Plain-English translation of NCT02898181 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ ·
This study doesn't follow the usual testing phases — it may be an observational study or a different type of research.
This study is testing a non-invasive treatment called low-level tragus stimulation—a gentle electrical stimulation applied to a small part of your outer ear. Researchers believe this stimulation may help calm your nervous system and reduce the harmful inflammation that comes with acute heart failure, potentially helping you breathe easier and recover better.
When your heart suddenly fails to pump well, your body's stress response system becomes overactive, triggering dangerous inflammation. Current anti-inflammatory medications haven't helped heart failure patients as much as hoped, so researchers are exploring whether this simple, non-invasive ear stimulation could work differently by calming your nervous system instead.
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If you join this study, you'll be randomly assigned to receive either active electrical stimulation or sham stimulation on your ear for 2 hours each day while hospitalized. Blood samples will be taken after admission and at discharge to measure inflammation markers, and you'll have a brief heart rhythm recording (ECG) to check how well your nervous system is working. You'll also rate your breathing difficulty using a simple scale to help researchers see if the treatment helps.
AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 25, 2026 · Not medical advice
United States