taVNS for Breast Cancer Pain and Symptom Management
Purpose
1. To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a home-based taVNS intervention and follow-up for pain and symptom management in breast cancer survivors. 2. To investigate the impact of taVNS on secondary outcomes, including pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and the brain-gut axis (BGA) in breast cancer survivors.
Condition
- Breast Cancer Survivors
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Between 18 Years and 79 Years
- Eligible Sex
- Female
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- are aged 18-79 years older; 2. have histologically confirmed Stage 0, I, II, or III breast cancer; 3. had completed their primary cancer treatment (surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy) and are currently on a stable survivorship care plan (e.g., endocrine therapy, supportive care), with no major treatment changes expected during the study; 4. have experienced pain with a severity of 4 or greater out of 10 for at least ten days in the last month; 5. are committed to maintaining the current treatment plan (e.g., endocrine therapy, supportive care) during the study; 6. have reliable internet access; 7. are willing to provide stool samples and undergo fNIRS brain imaging procedures; 8. are able to read and understand English and provide written informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria
- have metastatic breast cancer (Stage IV); 2. have a current diagnosis of another active cancer; 3. have a history of significant cardiac conditions, such as bradycardia, arrhythmia, recent myocardial infarction, or heart failure; 4. have been diagnosed with a severe psychiatric illness (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder with active psychosis) that could interfere with adherence to study procedures; 5. have active inflammatory or malabsorptive gastrointestinal disorders (e.g., Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease) that could confound gut microbiota results; 6. have taken antibiotics, probiotics, or gastrointestinal motility agents (e.g., laxatives, prokinetics) within the past 3 months, due to potential disruption of gut microbiota; 7. have a progressive neurological condition (e.g., Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis) that may impact fNIRS data quality or study participation; 8. have a history of surgical or pharmacological vagotomy or are currently receiving implanted vagus nerve stimulation therapy, because of potential interference with autonomic regulation and taVNS mechanisms; 9. have an active electronic or metallic implant (e.g., cochlear implant, pacemaker, neurostimulator) or other electronic/metallic device in the head or neck area, which may be contraindicated for taVNS; 10. are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant during the study period; 11. have had a recent initiation or dose change of pain medications (e.g., opioids, neuropathic agents) within the past 4 weeks.
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel Assignment
- Primary Purpose
- Supportive Care
- Masking
- Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
Active Comparator Active taVNS intervention |
practice the active taVNS twice daily for 30 minutes each over a 4-week period (56 sessions) |
|
|
Sham Comparator Sham taVNS |
practice the sham taVNS twice daily for 30 minutes each over a 4-week period (56 sessions) |
|
Recruiting Locations
More Details
- NCT ID
- NCT07500012
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- Florida State University