Fact CheckerSign in

NCT06170645Recruiting

Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Complementary Therapy to Exercise in Chronic Fatigue

Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Complementary Therapy to Exercise in Chronic Fatigue: Single-center, Controlled, Randomized, Blinded Study

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 6 May 2026

Brief summary (registry, in English)

Chronic fatigue is enhanced by adapted physical activity (APA) programs. Patients consulting on St Etienne hospital and suffering from fibromyalgia and long Covid benefit from a 4-6 week APA program, with 2 sessions per week. While most patients are improved by these exercise-training programs, for some the benefits remain very modest, and patients describe persistent fatigue. The literature unanimously describes the necessity of longer APA protocols (8-12 weeks, 2-3 sessions/week) for fatigue reduction in fibromyalgia and long Covid. However, it seems difficult to adhere to an optimal program as described in the literature for these fatigued patients. The investigators want to test a device that would both reduce fatigue and improve recovery between APA sessions, in order to gradually reach the recommendations for APA practice. Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tVNS) seems to be a promising approach. Thus, combining an APA intervention with a tVNS protocol could potentiate the expected and now well-known effect of exercise.

Status (registry)
Recruiting
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
60 (estimated)
First submitted
6 Dec 2023
Start date
3 Oct 2024
Primary completion date
Feb 2028
Lead sponsor
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne
NCT number
NCT06170645

What you commit to

  • Study type: Interventional
  • Planned participants: 60
  • From 3 Oct 2024 to the primary completion date, Feb 2028
  • 1 site in 1 country
  • Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them

Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.

Who cannot take part

Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.

Other illness

  • Severe heart failure
  • Recent stroke or myocardial infarction (\<6 months)

Lab values

  • Left ventricular ejection fraction \<40%

Other

  • Pre-existing atrial fibrillation,
  • Unilateral or bilateral vagotomy
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding

Who the study is looking for

  • Patient over 18 years old
  • Signature of informed consent
  • Confirmed diagnosis of fibromyalgia or long Covid (ACR 2016 criteria and persistent symptoms lasting more than 6 months after a positive RT-PCR test, respectively)
  • Persistent fatigue after an exercise rehabilitation program (FSS score \> 36)
  • Physical inactivity, i.e. \<150 minutes per week of physical activity

Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers

Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov

Sites (1)

Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.

SiteCityCountrySite status
Centre Hospitalier de Saint-Etienne
Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status
Saint-EtienneFranceRecruiting

This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.