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The ENHANCE Study: taVNS and Psilocybin
Activating Neuroplasticity to ENHANCE the Perception Box Expanding Effects of Psilocybin
Who can join
Ages 18 to 70 · All sexes · Healthy volunteers welcome
Full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * English speaking * Ability/willingness to complete all study activities * Modest reduction in emotional well-being * Medically healthy (does not meet criteria for an exclusionary medical condition) * Blood pressure and heart rate within established ranges at screening * Use of acceptable contraceptive methods (sexually active males and women of childbearing potential) Exclusion Criteria: * Clinically significant safety lab abnormalities (i.e., Complete Blood Count with Differential, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, and urinalysis) * Current or clinically significant psychiatric disorder that, in the investigator's judgment, would interfere with participation or increase risk * Current use of drugs or medications, prescribed or otherwise, that may interact with psilocybin * Use of investigational drugs, biologics, or devices within 30 days of enrollment * Use of psychedelic or related agents within three months of Dosing Day * Clinically significant electrocardiogram (ECG) * Vitals outside acceptable range * Pregnancy and currently breastfeeding * Unwillingness to go without tobacco products for 12 hours or more * Inability to undergo fMRI scanning * Recent ear trauma, hearing loss (if clinically significant), or deafness * Family history of a psychotic disorder in a first degree relative
About the study
This study will examine whether combining a single dose of psilocybin with non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), a potential inducer of neuroplasticity and enhanced memory formation, will enhance the long-term beneficial behavioral effects of psilocybin when compared to sham taVNS or no VNS by allowing memory for insights gained during the psychedelic experience to remain vivid after they will have faded in subjects who receive psilocybin followed by sham taVNS or no VNS.
What is being tested
- Psilocybin (drug)
- Transcutaneous auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) (device)
- Psychosocial Support Alone (behavioral)
- Sham taVNS (other)
Sponsor: University of Wisconsin, Madison · Participants: 108 · Started: Jan 27, 2025
Contact the study team
- Program Manager · Phone: 608-265-4987
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT05866471
Locations in the U.S.
| Wisconsin | University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison |
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Oct 2, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.