An interventional study of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Sham Stimulation in Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sleep Quality, sponsored by Juan Jiao. Recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 72 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-04-13.
Sponsored by Juan Jiao · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The purpose of this clinical trial is to determine whether transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is suitable for improving sleep disorders in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It will also evaluate the safety of taVNS. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Can taVNS improve the sleep quality of RA patients? What medical issues might RA patients experience while receiving taVNS treatment? Researchers will compare taVNS with a placebo (a similar substance that does not contain the actual treatment) to see if taVNS is effective in improving sleep disorders in RA patients.
Participants will:
Receive taVNS or sham stimulation daily for 4 weeks Keep a daily sleep diary and visit the hospital once a week for check-ups and tests Record their sleep quality and related symptoms This study aims to provide a new, safe, and effective non-drug therapy for sleep disorders related to RA.
3,554 studies on the registry are indexed under Arthritis; 317 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 52 is below the median of 90 across 2,377 interventional studies indexed under Arthritis.
Browse Arthritis studies →Juan Jiao is the lead sponsor of 3 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
This arm consists of 26 participants diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis who will receive transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) using the Huatuo electronic acupuncture device (model SDZ-IIB). Participants will be trained by a qualified physician to correctly position the earpieces on the auricular points corresponding to the heart and kidney. Treatment will be conducted at home, with each participant undergoing stimulation twice daily for 30 minutes each session, over a period of 5 consecutive days each week. The total intervention duration will last for 4 weeks. The stimulation frequency will be set at 20 Hz, using a sparse-dense wave pattern, with the intensity adjusted to the maximum level tolerated by the patient without causing pain.
Device: Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation
This arm includes 26 participants with rheumatoid arthritis who will receive sham stimulation using the same Huatuo electronic acupuncture device (model SDZ-IIB). Participants will be instructed on how to properly use the device, which will involve special sham electrodes placed over different ear areas not corresponding to therapeutic points (on the ear helix, specifically over the clavicle and shoulder points). The sham treatment will follow the same schedule as the experimental group: stimulation twice daily for 30 minutes per session, for 5 consecutive days each week, over 4 weeks. The device will be set to the same frequency and intensity as the experimental group, simulating the feeling of stimulation without delivering effective therapeutic intervention.
Device: Sham Stimulation
Treatment using the Huatuo electronic acupuncture device (model SDZ-IIB) with electrodes placed on the auricular points related to the heart and kidney. Pulsed wave type is sparse-dense wave, with a frequency of 20Hz and intensity set to the highest level tolerable without pain. Patients will perform self-treatment at home for 30 minutes, twice daily, for 5 days a week over 4 weeks.
Treatment using the same Huatuo electronic acupuncture device with electrodes placed on different ear points (over the ear helix). The device settings (pulse type, frequency, intensity) are the same as the experimental group but do not correspond to traditional acupuncture points. Patients will also perform self-treatment at home as per the same schedule as the experimental group.
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)
Scores on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating worse sleep quality.
Time frame: Baseline, week1, week2, week3, week4
Consensus Sleep Diary-Core(CSD)
The Consensus Sleep Diary is primarily used to record and analyze sleep patterns and quality to help identify insomnia issues. While the Consensus Sleep Diary itself does not directly provide a scoring system, the recorded data can be used to calculate key sleep parameters. These parameters can be used to assess the severity of insomnia and the effectiveness of treatments.
Time frame: Baseline, week1, week2, week3, week4
Medical outcomes study sleep scale(MOS-SS)
The MOS-SS Sleep Scale consists of 12 items and requires respondents to recall their sleep conditions over the past 4 weeks. Based on the scores for each item, the key indicators' scores are calculated.
Time frame: Baseline,week4
Epworth sleepiness scale(ESS)
The ESS consists of 8 questions, each describing a common daily activity. For each activity, respondents rate their tendency to doze off or fall asleep. The total score ranges from 0 to 24.
Time frame: Baseline,week4
the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 (MFI-20)
The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 (MFI-20) measures fatigue severity. The MFI-20 total score ranges from 0 to 80, with higher scores indicate more severe fatigue.
Time frame: Baseline,week4
Tender joint count(TJC)
Tender Joint Count is a key clinical indicator in evaluating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It measures the number of joints where patients feel pain upon touch or movement, helping to assess the disease's activity and severity. It involves 28 joints throughout the body.
Time frame: Baseline, week2, week4
Swollen joint count(SJC)
Swollen Joint Count (SJC) is another key clinical indicator for evaluating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It measures the number of joints that are swollen due to inflammation, involving a total of 28 joints throughout the body.
Time frame: Baseline, week2, week4
Visual analogue scale(VAS) for pain
Pain VAS, range, 0 to 10 cm, where higher scores indicated the perceived pain to be more severe.
Time frame: Baseline, week1, week2, week3, week4
Disease Activity Score - 28 joints（DAS-28 ESR/CRP）
DAS28 helps monitor RA progression, guide treatment, and is used in research. It provides a reliable measure for managing RA effectively.
Time frame: Baseline,week4
Health Assessment Questionnaire（HAQ）
The Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) has a total of 20 items, each scored to reflect the patient's functional ability in daily life. The scores for each item are averaged, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 3.
Time frame: Baseline,week4
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale（HADS）
The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is a commonly used tool for screening and assessing anxiety and depression in general medical patients. The scale consists of 14 items. Each item is scored from 0 to 3 based on the severity of the symptoms, with a total score of 28.
Time frame: Baseline,week4
Plan to share: No
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