NCT06127550

taVNS for Letter Learning in Dyslexia

Effect of Non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Letter Learning in Dyslexia

• Status: Suspended
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 100 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Florida · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 10 Years – 12 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This is a pilot study to establish feasibility of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) for improving letter-learning in adolescents with dyslexia. The main goals of the study are to 1) evaluate whether children in this age range will tolerate low level stimulation over the course of multiple sessions, 2) determine whether low level taVNS improves novel letter learning in dyslexia, and 3) evaluate the effect of low level taVNS on the brain's response to letters. Participants will complete fMRI before training, immediately after training, and a few weeks after training ends. Training will consist of six 30-minute lessons during which participants will learn novel letter-sound relationships while receiving either active or sham taVNS. Researchers will compare stimulation conditions to determine effect of this device on learning and neural plasticity.

Conditions

• Dyslexia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	active taVNS	low level stimulation to the auricular branch of the vagus nerve
DEVICE	sham taVNS	device placed with no current administered

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-08-01
• Primary completion: 2028-08-01
• Completion: 2029-09-01
• First posted: 2023-11-13
• Last updated: 2025-12-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated device study