NCT06825364

Near-InfraRed Spectroscopy of Auricular Stimulation

Neural Responses to Tactile Auricular Stimulation Measured by Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy in Pain-free Volunteers

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 80 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This is a single-visit non-invasive study of healthy volunteer subjects. Brain activity will be measured with infra-red light sensors attached to a cap worn on the head, while both ears are gently stimulated with plastic filaments.

Detailed description

The aim of this study is to localize and quantify brain activations from experimental stimulation of auricular points in pain-free volunteers. Investigators will stimulate auricular points for the shoulder, thumb, and lumbar spine with von Frey filaments and measure functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) responses in the primary somatosensory (S1) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). This will test the hypothesis that stimulation across different points in the auricular cartography maps to distinct brain responses, an assumption underpinning AT theory. Stimulation of different ear points is anticipated to induce similar PFC responses, but activate distinct areas within the S1 homunculus, validating the concept of auricular cartography.

Conditions

• Healthy Male and Female Subjects
• Healthy Volunteer Study

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	auricular stimulation	Different points on both ears will be repeatedly stimulated with a plastic filament. This will be felt, but not be painful and should not result in lasting irritation.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-08-12
• Primary completion: 2028-02-01
• Completion: 2028-02-01
• First posted: 2025-02-13
• Last updated: 2026-02-18

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States