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Veterans Acoustic
Neuroma Network

Research and clinical trials

Explore the evidence.
Protect your choices.

Understand the different ways people take part in research, search current vestibular-schwannoma studies, and prepare questions before sharing information or agreeing to enroll.

Find current studiesPrepare your questions
01

Know what is being studied

“Research” can mean several different things.

Interventional study

Researchers assign an intervention, such as a medicine, procedure, rehabilitation program, device, or care strategy, and measure outcomes.

Observational study

Researchers collect information without assigning a treatment. Examples include quality-of-life, hearing, balance, imaging, and recovery studies.

Natural-history study

Researchers follow how a condition changes over time. These studies can help define growth, symptoms, or long-term outcomes.

Registry, survey, or biobank

Participants may contribute records, questionnaires, images, or samples. Ask how long information is kept and whether it may support future research.

Do not assume a phase number will appear. Drug trials may use phases, while many surgery, device, imaging, rehabilitation, and observational studies use other designs.

02

Search the live record

Use current official listings.

Search both “vestibular schwannoma” and “acoustic neuroma.” Some records focus on sporadic tumors, while others concern NF2-related schwannomatosis or include several skull-base conditions. Read the condition, intervention, eligibility, location, and contact fields together.

Worldwide registry

ClinicalTrials.gov

Open the official homepage. In the Condition/disease field, search one term at a time:

  • Vestibular schwannoma
  • Acoustic neuroma

Then filter by recruiting status, location, age, study type, and other criteria. Using the homepage avoids access errors that can occur with prefilled search links.

Open ClinicalTrials.gov

Check each record for

  • Status: recruiting, not yet recruiting, active but not recruiting, completed, suspended, terminated, withdrawn, or unknown.
  • Population: sporadic vestibular schwannoma, NF2-related schwannomatosis, postoperative participants, or another defined group.
  • Location: whether the site nearest you is actually recruiting and whether visits can be remote.
  • Design: intervention or observation, random assignment, masking, comparison group, and study duration.
  • Contacts: the study coordinator for eligibility and logistics; your clinician for how participation fits your care.
03

Before you volunteer

Ask what participation would change.

Write down the answers, request a copy of the consent form, and take time to discuss the study with someone you trust and a clinician who knows your case.

Purpose and care

  • What question is the study trying to answer?
  • Why might I qualify, and who makes the final eligibility decision?
  • What is experimental, and what are my standard-care alternatives?
  • Could participation delay or limit another treatment?
  • Will the study team coordinate with my regular specialists?

Risks and results

  • What are the known and uncertain short- and long-term risks?
  • Is there randomization, masking, a placebo, or a comparison group?
  • What happens if my hearing, balance, imaging, or symptoms change?
  • Who provides care for a research-related injury?
  • Will I receive my individual results or the final study findings?

Time and cost

  • How many visits, scans, tests, and follow-ups are required?
  • Which costs are paid by the study, insurance, VA, TRICARE, or me?
  • Are travel, lodging, meals, parking, or caregiver costs reimbursed?
  • Is compensation offered, and when is it paid?
  • What happens if I leave the study early?

Data and samples

  • What records, images, genetic data, or samples will be collected?
  • Who can see identifiable information?
  • Will data or samples be shared or used in future studies?
  • Can I decline future use and still join the main study?
  • What information can be withdrawn after it has been analyzed or shared?

Open the complete HHS questions for research volunteers →

04

Veterans and active duty

Coordinate research with the care system you use.

Veterans

VA states that joining VA research is voluntary and that participants may change their mind without affecting VA healthcare or benefits. For a non-VA study, ask how the research team will communicate with your VA clinicians, obtain records, handle outside prescriptions, and coordinate study-related care.

Active-duty service members

Before joining, ask your primary care manager or specialist how study visits, experimental interventions, medications, travel, recovery time, and outside records may interact with your care plan and duty responsibilities. The research team does not determine readiness, profiles, assignments, or duty status.

Families and caregivers

Confirm who may attend consent discussions or visits, what help may be needed after procedures, and whether the schedule creates travel, childcare, lodging, or leave needs. Participation can affect the household even when family members are not research subjects.

Official guidance

Sources and update boundaries

Information and search links checked: September 21, 2026. Study records can change at any time; verify the current record and contact the study site directly.