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Not yet recruitingNCT07628179SENECAUpdated Aug 31, 2026

SENECA - Smart Therapies for Chronic Pain

An interventional study of VIVO 2nd GEN and Standard-of-Care Multimodal Pain Therapy in Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP), sponsored by Aurimod GmbH. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Austria. Open to participants aged 30 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-31.

Sponsored by Aurimod GmbH · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
44
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
30 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This will be a randomized controlled prospective pilot study: The feasibility and usability of VIVO 2nd GEN therapy + Standard-of-Care (SoC) vs. Standard-of-Care alone will be evaluated.

At baseline, after informed consent and evaluation of inclusion and exclusion criteria, evaluation of pain on Numerical and qualitative pain rating scales, quality of life (EQ-5D-5L questionnaire), mental health (HADS questionnaire), and the effect of back pain on function and daily activities (ODI questionnaire) will be performed. After that, all patients will start their multimodal treatment plan.

The control group will only receive SoC multimodal therapy training (this includes specifically: physio group therapy, water therapy, strength training, Nordic walking, massages, thermos therapy, lectures and trainings, psychotherapy, local electrotherapy).

The treatment group will additionally receive pVNS as add-on therapy. Within this study the next generation device VIVO 2nd GEN will be used within a pVNS proofed indication.

The study documentation in both groups will be supported by a digital diary App (VIVO® Pal) and an online dashboard for physicians/therapists (Therapy Management System - TMS), allowing for pseudonymized data entries and management.

Patients will remain on treatment for 4 weeks. All patients will be evaluated using questionnaires (Numerical and qualitative pain rating scales, EQ-5D-5L, HADS, ODI) at baseline, weekly during treatment for 4 weeks, by end of treatment and at 4 weeks (optional 3 months and 6 months) follow-up (e.g., via telephone or the App, see below).

02

Conditions studied

  • Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP)

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Keywords

  • auricular vagus nerve stimulation
  • chronic pain
  • neuromodulation
  • multimodal pain therapy
  • digital therapy management
03

In context

Chronic Pain

2,930 studies on the registry are indexed under Chronic Pain; 701 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 44 is below the median of 60 across 2,161 interventional studies indexed under Chronic Pain.

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Lead sponsor

Aurimod GmbH is the lead sponsor of 2 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.

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

04

Who can participate

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Male or female aged between 30 and 65 years
  • Indication: chronic myofascial/musculoskeletal back pain
  • normal function of spinal nerves
  • Intractable pain for more than 6 months
  • Patient on oral pharmacotherapy ≤ WHO II with no adequate response or intolerant
  • Average pain over the last 4 weeks according to the 0-10 numerical pain rating scale ≥ 4 and ≤ 9 at baseline
  • ODI 20-80 at baseline
  • Basic digital understanding to work with the patient pain app
  • Patient understands the therapy and procedures, agrees to its provisions, and gives written informed consent prior to any procedures

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Organic low back pain (trauma, fracture, tumor, infection, severe degenerative spine, documented high-grade spinal stenosis, rheumatologic conditions)
  • Indication for back surgery
  • Back surgery within the last 6 months
  • New analgesics 2 weeks before baseline (paracetamol, NSAIDs, Metamizol, etc.)
  • Opioid analgesic therapy > WHO II
  • New physical therapy modalities for back pain, also TENS, 2 weeks before baseline
  • History of vagus nerve stimulation or electrical auricular stimulation
  • History of vasovagal syncope
  • High BMI > 35 kg/m² (Obesity Class 2 or higher)
  • Hemophilia
  • Autonomic disorders
  • Advanced stage or poorly controlled diabetes mellitus type I or II
  • Poorly controlled high blood pressure
  • Major psychiatric comorbidity (HADS > 10 on each subscale at baseline)
  • Other serious clinically relevant co-morbidity
  • History of arrhythmia, bradycardia, other rhythm disorders or any other clinically significant cardiac anomalies
  • Infection, eczema, or psoriasis at application site (ear and neck)
  • Numbed and desensitized skin at the application site (ear and neck)
  • Chronic drug or alcohol abuse within the last 6 months
  • Pregnant or nursing female patients
  • Active implantable device
  • Open pension request
  • Currently participating in another clinical trial or participated over the last 3 months
  • Change in concomitant treatment or medication during the study
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
44 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Standard-of-Care + VIVO 2nd GEN

    Standard-of-Care 4-week multimodal pain therapy for chronic pain patients (this includes specifically: physio group therapy, water therapy, strength training, Nordic walking, massages, thermos therapy, lectures and trainings, psychotherapy, local electrotherapy) will be combined with the VIVO 2nd GEN wearable medical device for personalized pain treatment through percutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (paVNS).

    Device: VIVO 2nd GEN · Other: Standard-of-Care Multimodal Pain Therapy

  • Other
    Standard-of-Care (SoC)

    SoC multimodal therapy training (this includes specifically: physio group therapy, water therapy, strength training, Nordic walking, massages, thermos therapy, lectures and trainings, psychotherapy, local electrotherapy).

    Other: Standard-of-Care Multimodal Pain Therapy

Interventions

  • DeviceVIVO 2nd GEN

    VIVO 2nd GEN is a wearable medical device for personalized pain treatment through percutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (pVNS). It is the next-generation device of the CE-marked pVNS device VIVO®, which is approved for chronic pain indications including chronic back pain. It is a battery-operated electrical stimulation device, to be placed behind the ear on the neck, and connects to three needle electrodes, which are placed in vagally innervated regions of the auricle. It emits electrical signals with a defined set of parameters, i.e., fixed pulse width, fixed frequency, fixed bursted stimulation, but with adjustable amplitude and fixed duty cycle. It is smaller and lighter than VIVO® and the stimulator is re-usable with single-use battery pack and needle electrodes. Stimulation parameters are equal to VIVO®.

    Also known as: auricular vagus nerve stimulation, percutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation

  • OtherStandard-of-Care Multimodal Pain Therapy

    The Standard-of-Care multimodal pain therapy includes specifically: physio group therapy, water therapy, strength training, Nordic walking, massages, thermos therapy, lectures and trainings, psychotherapy, local electrotherapy, medical evaluation

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)

    Questionnaire for assessing functional status and quality-of-life impairment in patients with low back pain or spinal cord disease and injury. The ODI score ranges from 0 - 100%, with higher scores indicating a more severe disability

    Time frame: Change from baseline to end of treatment (visit V5) at 4 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Questionnaire: Patient evaluation of device perception and usability

    Patient evaluation of perception and usability of the VIVO 2nd GEN investigational medical device and the VIVO® Pal smartphone app using questionnaires. Patients rate agreement with statements on ease of use, tolerability, wearing comfort of the investigational medical device (e.g. "The device was easy to use", "I quickly got used to the device") on scales from 1 (does not apply at all) to 5 (fully applies). Patients rate interference of the device with everyday activities separately for each of 9 activities as "unchanged", "more difficult" and "much more difficult". Patients rate agreement with statements on ease of use, functionality and optic impression of the accompanying smartphone app on scales from 1 (does not apply at all) to 5 (fully applies).

    Time frame: Perception and usability of the VIVO 2nd GEN device is assessed at end of treatment (EoT) at 4 weeks. Perception and usability of the VIVO® Pal smartphone app is assessed at EoT at 4 weeks and at follow ups 4 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after EoT.

  2. Questionnaire: Physicians' evaluation of device perception and usability

    Physician's evaluation of satisfaction with therapy and usability of VIVO 2nd GEN device, VIVO® Pal (smartphone app) and therapy management system (web dashboard) using questionnaires. Physicians rate agreement with statements application and adjustment of the device (e.g. "After training, it was easy to correctly apply the device") on scales from 1 (does not apply at all) to 5 (fully applies). Physicians rate agreement with statements on ease of use, functionality and optic impression of the accompanying smartphone app and web dashboard on scales from 1 (does not apply at all) to 5 (fully applies).

    Time frame: Perception and usability of the VIVO 2nd GEN device assessed at end of treatment (EoT) at 4 weeks. Perception and usability of the VIVO® Pal smartphone app and web dashboard at EoT at 4 weeks and at follow ups 4 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after EoT.

  3. Health-related quality of life questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L)

    Health-related quality of life is reported by patients using the EuroQOL 5 dimensions, 5 levels questionnaire. The EQ-5D-5L consists of 2 pages: the EQ-5D descriptive system and the EQ visual analogue scale (EQ VAS). The descriptive system comprises five dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. Each dimension has 5 levels: no problems, slight problems, moderate problems, severe problems and extreme problems. The patient is asked to indicate his/her health state by ticking the box next to the most appropriate statement in each of the five dimensions. This decision results in a 1-digit number that expresses the level selected for that dimension. The digits for the five dimensions can be combined into a 5-digit number that describes the patient's health state. On the EQ VAS, patients rate their health on a vertical visual analogue scale where endpoints are labelled 'The best health you can imagine' and 'The worst health you can imagine'.

    Time frame: Change from baseline to end-of-treatment at 4 weeks and to follow up at 4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after end-of-treatment.

  4. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

    The HADS serves as a self-report instrument to assess anxiety and depression, particularly in medical settings. It comprises 14 items, evenly split between two subscales: seven items assessing anxiety and seven evaluating depression. Each item focuses on emotional symptoms, such as feeling tense or cheerful, using a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (most of the time). Total scores range from 0 to 42, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity.

    Time frame: Change from baseline to end-of-treatment at 4 weeks and to follow up at 4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after end-of-treatment.

  5. Numerical and qualitative pain rating scales

    Numerical and qualitative pain rating scales are used to rate pain intensity and pain quality. Pain intensity is rated at the current moment, as well as worst pain and average pain during the previous four weeks on numerical rating scales (NRS) ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Pain quality is evaluated by selecting between four categories.

    Time frame: Change from baseline to end-of-treatment at 4 weeks and to follow up at 4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after end-of-treatment.

  6. Smartphone-App Patient-Reported Outcomes

    Within the VIVO Pal smartphone applications, patients are encouraged to enter additional patient reported outcomes on overall wellbeing, sleep, mobility, and pain. These items are rated on 5-point-scales ranging from "very bad" to "very good". Patients can also enter their medication throughout the study (in addition to concomitant medication querying by the investigator at in-patient and telemedical visit).

    Time frame: Throughout the clinical investigation; from baseline to follow up (up to 6 months after end of treatment)

  7. Socioeconomic Data Questionnaire

    Patients report socioeconomic data like work status (working, full time/part time, sick leave, retired, etc.)

    Time frame: Change from baseline to end-of-treatment at 4 weeks and to follow up at 4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after end-of-treatment.

Other outcomes

  1. Safety Endpoints

    * Adverse Events (AEs) * Device Deficiencies (DDs) * Serious Adverse Events (SAEs)

    Time frame: AEs and DDs from baseline until end of treatment at 4 weeks; SAEs and related AEs from baseline until end of follow-up at 6 months after end of treatment

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee
    Klagenfurt, Carinthia 9020, Austria
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 31, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07628179
Lead sponsor
Aurimod GmbH
Collaborators
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jun 4, 2026
Start date
Sep 17, 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Mar 31, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Apr 30, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 31, 2026

Study contacts

Stefan Kampusch, DI
Contact
s.kampusch@aurimod.com
+43 650 36 99 271
Rudolf Likar, Prim. Univ.-Prof. Dr. MSc.
principal investigator · Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee
Thomas Ettenauer, Dr.
principal investigator · Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee

Oversight

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

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This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Aug 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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