Peer-Reviewed Research
Evidence Database
A curated collection of peer-reviewed research on vagus nerve stimulation. Search by condition, study type, or keyword to explore the evidence. This browse view lists the 837 human studies; the full dataset adds 503 preclinical records.
0% of study summaries are human-verified so far — rising as our ongoing review clears the database. How we verify →
Effects of adding transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation to vestibular rehabilitation on dizziness and postural control in vestibular migraine: a randomized clinical trial
Farahani A, Adel Ghahraman M, Togha M, Malmir K, Jalaie S · Scientific reports · 2026
All groups showed significant improvement (p < 0.05), but VR plus taVNS produced the most consistent gains across postural and symptom measures.
Network meta-analysis on efficacy of nerve stimulation or modulation in patients with heart failure
Tseng PT, Zeng BY, Hsu CW, Hung CM, Stubbs B, Chen YW, et al. · Heart rhythm · 2026
Interventions targeting both arms of the autonomic nervous system, including sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and the vasculature (carotid or renal arteries) demonstrated preferable results.
The vagus connection: exploring the neurobiology of brain-gut communication
Xing T, Ozkaya KS, Nassrallah Z, Travagli RA · Journal of neurophysiology · 2026
This imbalance plays a significant role in pathological conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia.
Vagal Nerve Stimulation for Chronic Constipation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Saleh AO, Awashra A, Abouelmagd AA, Elkholy M, Hasanin EH, Aldohni AAA, et al. · Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society · 2026
Six RCTs involving 356 participants were included.
Predicting treatment response to transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in patients with insomnia: resting-state functional connectivity based multivoxel pattern analysis
Qi M, Li S, Wu X, Xu B, Mai R, Yan Z, et al. · BMC psychiatry · 2026
TaVNS group showed significantly improved clinical assessment compared with staVNS.
Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in breast cancer: a neuroimmune model to improve quality of life
Do M, Tyler WJ · Frontiers in oncology · 2026
Evidence suggests that tVNS modulates locus coeruleus-norepinephrine activity, regulates arousal and sleep, reduces fatigue and anxiety, enhances cognitive function, and activates the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathways.
Vagus nerve stimulation: An update of currently registered clinical trials on ClinicalTrials.gov
Horowitz MA, Sussman JH, Zomalan B, Rendler J, Singh A, Birouty N, et al. · Surgical neurology international · 2026
An examination of ClinicalTrials.gov revealed 440 clinical trials, with 346 meeting our inclusion criteria.
Brain-gut interaction for holistic regulation: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in modulating glucose and lipid metabolic disorders
Zou N, Zhou P, Zhou Q, Ma J, Feng S, Rong P, et al. · Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) · 2026
A narrative review of taVNS and the brain-gut axis for regulating glucose and lipid metabolism.
Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation enhances episodic memory across valences and memory stages
Mary A, Nematollahi H, Torres D, Chernyshkova Y, Vonck K, Carrette E · Brain stimulation · 2026
In an RCT, taVNS significantly enhanced episodic-memory recall versus sham regardless of timing, with emotional stimuli better recalled than neutral.
Vagus nerve-mediated neuroimmune modulation for rheumatoid arthritis: a pivotal randomized controlled trial
Tesser JRP, Crowley AR, Box EJ, June JP, Wickersham PB, Valenzuela GJ, et al. · Nature medicine · 2026
ACR20 rates were higher with active simulation than with sham at 3 months (35.2% versus 24.2%, P = 0.0209), which further improved in open-label to 50.0% at 6 months and 52.8% at 12 months (all-completers).
The role of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in chronic pain: from neurobiological mechanisms to clinical applications
Zhang J, Zhang Y, Zhao J, Sun J, Zhang X · Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), as an emerging non-invasive neuromodulation technique, has demonstrated broad application prospects in chronic pain management in recent years.
Non-invasive auricular vagus nerve stimulation in fibromyalgia: Impacts on autonomic function, central sensitization and pain catastrophizing
Lommano MG, Farah S, Bianchi B, Risa AM, Sarzi-Puttini P, Salaffi F, et al. · Joint bone spine · 2026
Significant improvements were observed in total COMPASS-31 scores (P<0.05), particularly within the orthostatic (P<0.05), vasomotor (P<0.05), and pupillomotor (P<0.05) subdomains.
Vagus nerve stimulation as a novel therapeutic approach for musculoskeletal diseases
Yadav S, Stavrakis S, Chu CR, Humphrey MB · The American journal of the medical sciences · 2026
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has gained significant attention as a therapy for various medical conditions due to its ability to modulate chronic diseases, pain, and inflammation.
Laterality-Dependent Biological Effects of Manual Acupuncture Stimulation of the Auricular Vagus Nerve in Women with Fibromyalgia: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial
Neves ML, Coutinho BD, Speretta GFF, Kraus SI, Ferreira JB, Amaral PAH, et al. · Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) · 2026
While no significant between-group differences were observed in pain intensity, left-sided stimulation (aVNS-L) was associated with a modest but significant reduction in global symptom severity.
Gulf War Illness: Neurological Impacts, Pathophysiological Insights, and Therapeutic Prospects
Mantilla F, Patel N, Cheema AK, Parmar MS · Molecular neurobiology · 2026
Evidence implicates neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and epigenetic dysregulation as central mechanisms, with emerging data suggesting early tauopathy and sex-specific immune responses.
Potential application of brain-gut axis-based treatments in Long COVID and ME/CFS: a case-based systematic review
Kim DY, Youn J, Kang N, Cho SI, Ha IH · Journal of translational medicine · 2026
The patient exhibited a significant reduction in total fatigue, with early improvements in motivation and mental fatigue, and delayed improvement in physical fatigue following transient systemic symptom flares.
ATP release and metabolism by human and guinea pig airways and P2X receptor-dependent effects on bronchopulmonary vagal afferent nerve subtypes
Canning BJ, Yoshihara M, Mori N, Tsujimura T, Inoue M, Meeker S, et al. · British journal of pharmacology · 2026
It is also unclear whether P2X receptor blockade could compromise the essential defensive functions of cough regulated by the vagal Aδ-fibres terminating in the extrapulmonary airways.
Neuromodulation of heart rate variability: a systematic review
Souza R, Souza ICD, Andrade SMMDS, Ferreira MRP · Autonomic Neuroscience · 2026
Across randomised trials, transcutaneous VNS showed no significant effect on time- or frequency-domain heart rate variability, indicating the evidence for an HRV benefit is limited and inconsistent.
Effect of Percutaneous Auricular Nerve Stimulation on Fatigue in Adults with Post-COVID Fatigue (PAuSing-pCF): Results of a Randomised, Sham-Controlled Trial
Shahmandi M, Cherlin S, Germann M, Maffitt NJ, Burton OA, Ashhad A, et al. · NIHR Open Research · 2026
In a three-arm randomised trial, auricular nerve stimulation produced no significant difference in post-COVID fatigue versus sham or placebo at eight weeks; fatigue fell similarly across all arms.
Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Post-COVID-19 Condition: A Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal of Clinical Evidence
Balan A, Graham G, Herban S, Marcu M, Gheorghe N, Mara G, et al. · Journal of Clinical Medicine · 2026
Systematic review of taVNS for post-COVID-19 condition rated the efficacy evidence as very low certainty (GRADE); the only adequately blinded RCT found no significant between-group benefit.
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation may improve cognitive deficits in neuropsychiatric diseases: a systematic review
Jost ST, Happe F, Koenig J, Dafsari HS · Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · 2026
Systematic review (15 studies) found 8 reported taVNS improvements in attention, executive function or memory, but evidence was heterogeneous and at high risk of bias.
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation for postoperative pain after laparoscopic gastrointestinal tumour surgery: a randomized controlled trial
Yi Y, Li Y, Luo G, Fang Y, He L, Ni H, et al. · Pain and Therapy · 2026
Blinded RCT found taVNS reduced 24-hour pain scores and postoperative opioid use and shortened time to first flatus after laparoscopic GI surgery.
Auricular vagus nerve stimulation reduces postoperative delirium after major non-cardiac surgery: a randomized controlled trial
Shi J, Gao D, Hu X, Zhang Y, Guo T, Mao Q, et al. · Clinical Interventions in Aging · 2026
Sham-controlled RCT in older patients found taVNS reduced postoperative delirium (12% vs 25.3%), partly mediated by improved postoperative sleep.
Durability of the benefit of vagus nerve stimulation in markedly treatment-resistant major depression: a RECOVER trial report
Conway CR, Rush AJ, Aaronson ST, Bunker MT, Gordon C, George MS, et al. · The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
Across 24-month RECOVER follow-up, about two-thirds of participants who reached meaningful benefit at 12 months sustained it at 24 months, with roughly one-third progressing to full response.
Long-term efficacy and safety of vagus nerve stimulation in treatment-resistant depression: A systematic review
Rosson S, Bresolin N, D'Amico A, Denaro L, Landi A, Sambataro F, et al. · Journal of Affective Disorders · 2026
PRISMA systematic review of 10 cohort studies and 8 case series (>900 cases) found adjunctive VNS provided sustained response and remission over 2 or more years in treatment-resistant depression.
Transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation improves functional dyspepsia with sleep disturbance via enhanced vagal activity: a randomized controlled trial
Li J, Wang L, Zhang Y, Meng R, Zhu B, Chen JDZ, et al. · International journal of surgery (London, England) · 2026
Auricular vagus nerve stimulation lowered dyspepsia and sleep-quality scores and reduced anxiety/depression versus non-vagal stimulation in functional dyspepsia with sleep disturbance.
Closed-Loop Vagus Nerve Stimulation Delivered With a Miniaturized System Produces Lasting Recovery in Individuals With Chronic Stroke
Hays SA, Adehunoluwa EA, Epperson JD, Malley KM, Porter AL, Gallaway HL, et al. · Stroke · 2026
A randomised sham-controlled trial of a miniaturised closed-loop VNS system found it safe and feasible, producing lasting upper-limb recovery in chronic stroke.
Effectiveness of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in stroke rehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
Wan S, Liu X, Jiang W, Li Z, Yan Z, Yin Y, et al. · Frontiers in neurology · 2026
Meta-analysis of RCTs found taVNS produced superior upper-limb motor scores versus control (SMD 1.35) and benefited post-stroke functional recovery.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Associated With Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Children With Drug Resistant Epilepsy: A Retrospective Case Series
Lamagrande-Casanova N, Romero-Adújar F, Lloris A, Sifontes K, González-Alguacil E, Cantarín V, et al. · Pediatric neurology · 2026
OSA was identified in 11 of 14 children with new-onset snoring after VNS, with obstructive events synchronised to stimulation cycles and resolved by nighttime VNS parameter adjustment in 67%.
Fast cycle of vagus nerve stimulation is associated with increased sleep-related breathing disorder in patients with epilepsy
Massa J, El Youssef N, Carron R, Garcia P, Trebuchon A, Giusiano B, et al. · Epilepsia · 2026
Among 22 epilepsy patients, a fast VNS cycle (shorter interval between stimulations) was independently associated with a higher apnea-hypopnea index on polysomnography.
A pilot study of brain correlates of long-term treatment with transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation in posttraumatic stress disorder
Bremner JD, Wittbrodt MT, Gurel NZ, Nye JA, Shandhi MMH, Gazi AH, et al. · Journal of Affective Disorders Reports · 2026
Three months of active tcVNS reduced activation in fear-mediating brain regions during trauma-script exposure relative to sham in PTSD patients.
Effects of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in World Trade Center Responders: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study
Debnath S, Cook HM, Shaam P, Ryniker L, Fylaktou F, Lieberman L, et al. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2026
At-home taVNS for 8 weeks was feasible and acceptable in WTC responders (90.6% retention), with 40% of the active group showing >=10-point CAPS-5 reductions in this feasibility-focused randomized sham-controlled trial.
Vagal Nerve Stimulation in Patients With Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction: The ANTHEM-HFrEF Trial
Konstam MA, Udelson JE, Mann DL, DiCarlo L, Butler J, Ardell J, et al. · Journal of the American College of Cardiology · 2026
In the ANTHEM-HF-2 RCT (532 patients; enrollment terminated early), VNS did NOT meet its primary efficacy endpoint in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, though device safety was high.
Acute Effect of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Two Different Locations on Blood Pressure and Cardiac Autonomic Modulation in Healthy and Hypertensive Individuals: Pilot Study of a Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial
Leite Souza PH, Ferrari Corrêa JC, Venâncio BP, Buzá LS, Oliveira da Silva G, Fregni F, et al. · Physiotherapy Research International · 2026
Acute auricular vagus nerve stimulation at the tragus or cymba conchae produced modest changes in blood pressure and cardiac autonomic modulation in healthy and hypertensive individuals.
Sustained blood pressure reduction associated with percutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in hypertensive chronic pain patients: a retrospective dual-center analysis
Berger L, Likar R, Perruchoud C, Kampusch S, Le VH, Zeiner K, et al. · Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine · 2026
Percutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation was associated with sustained reductions in blood pressure in hypertensive chronic pain patients across two centers.
Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Pectoral-Intercostal Fascial Block for the Prevention of Chronic Postsurgical Pain in Elderly Patients Undergoing Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A 2x2 Factorial, Double-Blinded, Randomized Clinical Trial
Cui S, Yan L, Huang P, Yang H, Liang W, Huang L · Clinical Interventions in Aging · 2026
Perioperative taVNS significantly reduced chronic postsurgical pain incidence (28.6% vs 40.9%) and improved recovery quality after off-pump CABG.
An individual patient data meta-analysis on vagal nerve stimulation for recovery from disorders of consciousness
Zhang JJ, Lo YT, Wee AXQ, Yeo J, Suan E, Zhang Z, et al. · Scientific Reports · 2026
Pooling individual data from 10 studies (112 patients), VNS was associated with a mean CRS-R increase of 2.78 points, with 40.2% exceeding the minimal clinically important difference and greater gains in minimally conscious state patients.
Transcutaneous Auricular Vagal Nerve Stimulation Against Fatigue Syndrome in Patients with Long COVID: Results of the Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Pilot Trial COVIVA
Gierthmuehlen M, Schmieder K, Thon N, Gierthmuehlen PC · Neurology and Therapy · 2026
In 45 patients randomized to sham, sub-threshold or above-threshold taVNS for 4 weeks, taVNS was safe and well-tolerated but showed no superiority over sham stimulation for long COVID fatigue.
Pilot evaluation of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in chronic tinnitus: clinical outcomes and DTI insights
Gedik Toker Ö, Hüsam H, Kuru E, Balsak S, Bal N, Doğan R, et al. · European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology · 2026
Pilot of taVNS in 13 chronic tinnitus patients reported clinical symptom improvement alongside diffusion-tensor-imaging white-matter changes.
The Effect of Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Pain Severity Scores in Patients With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis
Buchman ZJ, Lorea JC, Oar DP, DiSilvestro D, Jay LF, Lazo CR, et al. · Cureus · 2026
Meta-analysis of six trials found tVNS reduced chronic musculoskeletal pain scores by an amount exceeding the minimal clinically important difference.
Open Data
Download the full dataset
The complete database of 1,340 records — every field shown here plus bibliographic metadata and evidence-strength scores. Released under CC BY 4.0.
Note: the download additionally includes the 503 preclinical records that are excluded from this browse view — 837 human studies + 503 preclinical = 1,340 total.