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NCT04021797 · ClinicalTrials.gov registry record · NA

Autonomic Mechanisms of Sleep-dependent Memory Consolidation

A NA study, sponsored by University of California, San Francisco.

Terminated
Registry status
NA
Development phase
12
Enrollment target

NCT04021797: Clinical Trial NA study, sponsored by University of California, San Francisco.

NCT04021797 is a NA study that was terminated before completion, run by University of California, San Francisco. The registered enrollment target is 12 participants, below the 1,404-participant average among 58,714 other NA trials with a reported enrollment target (99% lower). According to ClinicalTrials.gov, the official US trial registry.

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The verdict

NCT04021797, a NA study, was terminated before completion, sponsored by University of California, San Francisco.

TERMINATED
Registry status
NA
Development phase
12 participants
Enrollment target

Study Summary

The goal of the proposed project is to identify the impact vagal activity during sleep for memory formation. Nearly 100 years of research contends that sleep plays a critical role in memory consolidation (i.e. the transformation of recent experiences into stable, long-term memories), yet much of this literature has focused on the central nervous system and technologies like electroencephalography (EEG) to unpack neural correlates involved in memory processing. Sleep is also a unique period of autonomic variation and an expansive literature has indicated the critical importance of the autonomic nervous system for memory formation. This project would be amongst the first to examine the autonomic nervous system during sleep as a critical, causal pathway linking sleep to memory processing. The investigators will assess the impact of non-invasive, transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation on sleep and post-sleep memory performance. Autonomic physiology, including electrocardiography and impedance cardiography, will be gathered at baseline, before the memory task and continuously during sleep to examine vagal tone (i.e. heart rate variability) and sympathetic activation (i.e. pre-ejection period) in response to both active and sham stimulation conditions. Polysomnography will also be gathered during the nap to examine sleep architecture. The proposed research will address a critical gap in the literature by: 1) examining the causal role of the ANS for memory functioning in humans, 2) extending the current understanding of sleep's impact on memory processing, and 3) set the groundwork for novel, sleep-based interventions with the goal of improving cognitive health.

Primary Outcome

word-pair associates

Interventions

  • DEVICE transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation

Trial Details

FieldValue
Enrollment Target 12 participants
Start Date 2019-10-15
Est. Completion 2020-03-15
Phase NA

Why NCT04021797 stopped before completion

NCT04021797 is an interventional study that assigns participants to a tested intervention. The registry caps enrollment at 12 participants, a relatively small participant target, below the 1,404-participant average among 58,714 other NA trials with a reported enrollment target (99% lower).

The record links to 0 conditions, and to 1 intervention - of which transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation is the first listed.

NCT04021797 does not publish any study locations in the registry export this page uses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is clinical trial NCT04021797 about?

NCT04021797 is a clinical study titled "Autonomic Mechanisms of Sleep-dependent Memory Consolidation". The goal of the proposed project is to identify the impact vagal activity during sleep for memory formation. Nearly 100 years of research contends that sleep plays a critical role in memory consolidation (i.e. the transformation of recent experiences into stable, long-term memories), yet much of thi...

What is the current status of trial NCT04021797?

This trial is currently terminated. It is a NA study. The enrollment target is 12 participants. The study started on 2019-10-15. Estimated completion is 2020-03-15.

What interventions are being tested in trial NCT04021797?

The interventions under investigation include: transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (DEVICE).

Who is sponsoring clinical trial NCT04021797?

This trial is sponsored by University of California, San Francisco, which has 1,713 total clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How this trial's enrollment target compares

Where NCT04021797's enrollment target sits among peer trials

12 1913th of 2000 higher than 74 of 2,000 other NA trials

participants (enrollment target), bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more other NA trials. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source ClinicalTrials.gov registry export · 2026-08-08

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Source: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04021797, the US trial registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine. NCT04021797 (small enrollment · none site footprint · terminated) retrieved and formatted by PlainTrial, see methodology.