Depression and Anxiety Trial, Recruiting
Who may be able to join
AI generated eligibility summary. Written by an AI model from the official source data and checked on a sample basis. It can contain mistakes, so confirm anything important against the original source. How we use AI
Who might be able to join this trial:
- People who are 18 years of age or older
- People who are having back surgery on two or more levels of the lower spine for conditions such as degenerative disc disease or spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
- People who score 18 or above on a standard memory and thinking test called the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)
- People who are able to use a keyboard
- People who can understand and communicate in English
- People who are able to give their own consent to participate without assistance
- Women of childbearing age who are comfortable confirming a negative pregnancy test before the study begins
- People who are not currently participating in any other research study that tests brain or behavioural functioning
Who may not be able to join:
- People under 18 years of age
- People who have previously had surgery to cut the vagus nerve (a major nerve running from the brain to the body)
- People with a history of slow heart rate, heart block, prolonged QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, or heart failure where the heart is pumping less than 35% of its capacity, or significant heart failure symptoms
- People who score below 18 on the MoCA thinking and memory test
- People with a history of seizures or bleeding inside the skull
- People with narrowing of the carotid arteries (the main arteries in the neck)
- People who have aneurysms (abnormal bulging of a blood vessel)
- People with other neurological conditions, a severe psychiatric disorder such as psychosis, or a reported learning disability from childhood
- People who are pregnant or breastfeeding
- People with a current or active history of addiction
- People who are allergic to ECG adhesive (the sticky pads used to attach heart monitoring electrodes to the skin)
- People with severe difficulty speaking or understanding language that would prevent them from understanding the study and giving written consent
- People who develop swelling in the neck at the intended treatment site after surgery
Important: Always verify eligibility with the trial site directly before applying.
Based on publicly available eligibility criteria from ClinicalTrials.gov. Verify directly with the trial site before acting. This is not medical advice.
Contact this trial
Principal Investigator: Charles Hogue, MD, Northwestern University
Phone: 3126950915
Contact details sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. Verify directly with the trial site before attending.
GP referral letter
Print a one-page summary to share with your doctor.
Trial details
Where this trial is recruiting
Primary endpoints
Aim 1: Primary Endpoint 1: Determine if administering auricular tcVNS enhances the speed of recovery of anesthesia.; Aim1:Primary Endpoint 2 : Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS Score); Aim 2: Primary Endpoint 1: Post Anesthesia Care Unit Discharge (PACU); Aim 2: Primary Endpoint 2: Discharge from Hospital; Aim 3: Primary Endpoint 1: Post Anesthesia Care Unit delirium; Aim 3: Primary Endpoint 1a: Post Anesthesia Care Delirium; Aim3:Primary Endpoint 1b: PHQ-9
Can't join this trial?
Data last synced from ClinicalTrials.gov: 27 July 2026. Trial status can change. Always verify current status directly with the trial site before making any decision.