Effects of Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Temporomandibular Disorders.

The study aims to examine the effects of transcutaneous non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) on symptoms and brain mechanisms in premenopausal women with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) is the most well researched and possibly the most effective non-invasive neuromodulation treatment for chronic pain conditions that targets the brain-gut-microbiome (BGM) axis. Participants will be asked to come in for 2 in-clinic visits, at baseline and post treatment. Participants will also be asked to come in 2x/week for 8 consecutive weeks to receive the nVNS treatment. The in-clinic visits will include physical measures, blood draw, saliva sample, and brain MRI. Participants will be asked to collect a stool sample at home and answer online questionnaires regarding, mood, pain, and health behaviors at home, prior to the in-clinic appointments.

NCT Number	NCT07288411
Lead Sponsor	Arpana Church
Conditions	TMD, Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs)
Enrollment	10 participants
Start Date	2026-08-01
Primary Completion	2026-12-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-12-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-07-07