NEURO-LIGHT

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve stimulation in neurological disease and healthy volunteers: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study

• IRAS ID

  355611

• Contact name

  Sheharyar Baig

• Contact email

  sheharyar.baig@nhs.net

• Sponsor organisation

  Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Duration of Study in the UK

  4 years, 9 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  Background:
  The NEURO‐LIGHT study is exploring a simple, non‐invasive technique that uses gentle electrical stimulation on the ear to activate the vagus nerve—a key nerve that links the brain with the rest of the body. This method, known as Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), could offer a new way to help people with conditions like stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and memory or thinking problems. While previous studies have shown that taVNS is safe, we still need to understand how it affects the brain during everyday activities like moving or thinking.

  Methods:
  160 participants with neurological conditions and 40 healthy volunteers will take part in this study with a single study visit. During the session, participants will perform simple movement and thinking tasks while a special device, called fNIRS, monitors their brain activity by measuring blood flow changes. fNIRS uses near‐infrared light to create a picture of which parts of the brain are working. Each participant will experience both a real treatment and a placebo (sham) version of the tVNS treatment, so we can compare the effects of active nerve stimulation against a control.

  Results:
  We expect that the active stimulation will lead to clear changes in brain activity compared to the placebo. The study will also look at whether people with neurological conditions show different brain responses compared to healthy individuals while performing the tasks. These findings could help us develop new markers to guide future treatments and improve therapies for neurological diseases.
  

• REC name

  Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  25/YH/0105

• Date of REC Opinion

  24 Jul 2025

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion