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Not yet recruitingNCT06386809Updated Apr 26, 2024

Effectiveness of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Bruxism

An interventional study of TAVNS and Exercise program in Bruxism, sponsored by Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Turkey. Open to participants aged 20 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-04-26.

Sponsored by Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Aug 2024, 2 years 3 months ago, but the record still lists the study as not yet recruiting.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
40
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
20 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Our study aimed to investigate the effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (TAVNS) application on treatment efficacy in bruxism in terms of masseter muscle activity, pain, stress level, sleep and life quality, and autonomic functions.

Read the detailed description

Our study was designed as a randomized, single-blind experimental clinical trial. It was planned to include 40 individuals diagnosed with bruxism in our research. Outcome measurements and assessments will be performed immediately after the participants are recruited and at the end of the 8-week program. Pain intensity, oral health quality of life, stress level and sleep quality will be assessed by self-report through questionnaires. Pressure pain threshold and muscle activation for the masseter muscle and heart rate variables measurements will be performed by physiotherapists. After completing the initial evaluations, the participants will be randomly divided into two groups. An eight-week exercise program will be applied to the control group. In the TAVNS group, in addition to the eight-week exercise program, TAVNS will be used twice weekly for 16 sessions with the VAGUSTIM device.

02

Conditions studied

  • Bruxism

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Keywords

  • bruxism
  • vagus
  • stimulation
  • parasympathetic
03

In context

Bruxism

151 studies on the registry are indexed under Bruxism; 39 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 40 is close to the median of 39 across 94 interventional studies indexed under Bruxism.

Browse Bruxism studies →

Lead sponsor

Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University is the lead sponsor of 70 studies on the registry; 19 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
20 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Diagnosed with bruxism between the ages of 18-65,
  • A history of bruxism for at least 6 months,
  • Individuals with masseter muscle pain GAS≥4 at rest and during mastication

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Masseter botox application in the last 6 months,
  • Regular use of analgesics and anti-inflammatories that affect the OSS,
  • Presence of infection or tumoral structures within intraoral structures,
  • Wearing multiple ear piercings,
  • With TMJ disc displacement and joint degeneration,
  • Musculoskeletal problem with evidence of cervical or TMJ fracture, systemic disease, specific pathologic condition,
  • Any surgical operation related to a cervical or TMJ problem,
  • Less than 6 months of cervical or TMJ-related physiotherapy and rehabilitation services,
  • The one with facial paralysis,
  • Diagnosed psychiatric illness
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
40 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    TAVNS group

    Device: TAVNS · Other: Exercise program

  • Other
    Exercise group

    Other: Exercise program

Interventions

  • DeviceTAVNS

    TAVNS is a recently introduced treatment involving transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve with VAGUSTIM device.

  • OtherExercise program

    Rocabado 6x6 exercises will be applied in our study. Rocabado exercise, which is the most commonly used exercise method in the literature, is a set of exercises for the craniocervical and craniomandibular system.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain Severity

    Participants' pain intensity will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale, is a simple, reliable and short-term method commonly used in the clinic to measure pain intensity.The participant is told that the most severe pain he/she experiences is 10, and if he/she has no pain, the pain intensity is 0. The participant will be asked to mark a number between 0 and 10 corresponding to the intensity of pain in the masticatory muscles at rest and during chewing.

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  2. Oral Health Quality of Life

    The Oral Health Impact Profile is revised to comprehensively measure the discomfort, disability and handicap related to oral and dental health. The scale consists of 14 questions in 7 dimensions: functional limitation, physical pain, psychological discomfort, physical disability, psychological disability, social disability and handicap. The lowest score that can be obtained from the scale is 0, while the highest score that can be obtained is 56. A high score indicates poor quality of life.

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  3. Stress Level

    The Perceived Stress Scale-14 is a self-report scale designed to assess one's perception of the degree to which a particular situation in daily life is considered stressful. It consists of 14 items and is rated on a 4-point Likert scale ('0: never' to '4: very often'). A high total score indicates a high level of perceived stress.

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  4. Sleep Quality

    Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index will be used to assess the sleep quality of the participants. It assesses sleep duration, sleep disturbance, sleep efficiency, subjective sleep quality, sleep medication use, daytime work disturbance and sleep latency and consists of a total of 24 questions. The total score ranges from 0-21, with 5 and above indicating "poor sleep quality".

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  5. Pressure Pain Threshold

    In our study, pressure pain threshold measurement of the dominant and non-dominant side masseter muscle before and after activity will be evaluated with Baseline manual algometer (2.5 kg-11 lb).

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  6. Muscle Activation Measurement

    In our study, four-channel 'Neurotrac Myoplus Pro 4 EMG Biofeedback' device will be used for superficial EMG measurements. The EMG work-rest mode of the device will be used in the measurement and the masseter muscle activation during contraction and relaxation will be measured by asking the participant to clench his/her teeth 5 times consecutively, 5 seconds contraction time, 5 seconds relaxation time. Neurotrac PC Software program will be used for electromyographic analysis during the measurement.

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  7. Measurement of heart rate variability/ Autonomic nervous system evaluation

    All participants included in the study will undergo a 5-minute heart rate variability measurement test with the Polar H10 chest strap device. The data obtained after the measurement will be analyzed with Kubios program. Stress index (cardiovascular system stress), PNS index (parasympathetic nervous system dominance), SNS index (sympathetic nervous system dominance), LF power (sympathetic activity) and HF power (parasympathetic activity) parameters will be recorded in Kubios program.

    Time frame: 8 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
08

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Start is estimated for May 2024; primary completion for Aug 2024, 3 months later.

Of 59 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Bruxism, half reached primary completion within 8 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 3 and three quarters within 13. This study's planned 3 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 60 studies reached it within 7 months; a quarter within 3 and three quarters within 13.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Apr 22, 2024
First posted
Apr 26, 2024
StartEst.
May 1, 2024
Primary completionEst.
Aug 1, 2024
CompletionEst.
Nov 1, 2024
Last update
Apr 26, 2024
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 26, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06386809
Lead sponsor
Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University
Responsible party
Hazel Çelik Güzel (Assist. Prof. Dr, Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Apr 26, 2024
Start date
May 1, 2024 (estimated)
Primary completion
Aug 1, 2024 (estimated)
Completion
Nov 1, 2024 (estimated)
Last update
Apr 26, 2024

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Apr 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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