Condition · Evidence Hub
Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Anxiety
Does vagus nerve stimulation help with anxiety? 13 human studies have investigated VNS for anxiety, including 8 RCTs and 5 controlled trials, published between 2008 and 2025, with 10 published since 2022. Studies use transcutaneous auricular (taVNS), implanted (iVNS), and transcutaneous cervical (tcVNS) stimulation. Findings vary by study design and population; the studies below are ranked by evidence strength so you can weigh the research directly.
8 RCTs · 5 controlled trials
Evidence by Tier
strongest → weakest
- 8Randomised controlled trials
- 5Controlled clinical trials
Stimulation Method
- 11taVNS
- 1iVNS
- 1tcVNS
Research Momentum
10 of 13 studies (77%) published since 2022 — an actively growing evidence base.
The studies
13 studies · strongest evidence firstEvaluating PEMF vagus nerve stimulation through neck application: A randomized placebo study with volunteers
Jerman et al. · Electromagnetic biology and medicine · 2025
RCTstcVNSTranscutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Attenuates Early Increases in Heart Rate Associated With the Cold Pressor Test
Austelle et al. · Neuromodulation · 2024 · n = 24
RCTstaVNSTranscutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation improves anxiety symptoms and cortical activity during verbal fluency task in Parkinson's disease with anxiety
Zhang et al. · Journal of affective disorders · 2024
RCTstaVNSTranscutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation modulates masseter muscle activity, pain perception, and anxiety levels in university students: a double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial
Ferreira et al. · Frontiers in integrative neuroscience · 2024
RCTstaVNSEfficacy of Vagal nerve stimulation on anxiety among elderly retired teachers during COVID-19 pandemic
Srinivasan et al. · Work (Reading, Mass.) · 2024
RCTstaVNSEvidence of bottom-up homeostatic modulation induced taVNS during emotional and Go/No-Go tasks
Camargo et al. · Experimental brain research · 2024
RCTstaVNSTranscutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Insomnia in People Living in Places or Cities with High Altitudes: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Zhang et al. · Brain sciences · 2023
RCTstaVNSTranscutaneous vagus nerve stimulation reduces spontaneous but not induced negative thought intrusions in high worriers
Burger et al. · Biological Psychology · 2019 · n = 97
RCTstaVNSOptimizing transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation parameters for sleep and autonomic function in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder with or without mild traumatic brain injury
Bottari et al. · Sleep · 2025
controlled trialstaVNSTranscutaneous vagus nerve stimulation improves Long COVID symptoms in a female cohort: a pilot study
Zheng et al. · Frontiers in neurology · 2024
controlled trialstaVNSTherapeutic effect of implanted and non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation on heroin-induced anxiety
Yue et al. · Biochemical and biophysical research communications · 2023
controlled trialstaVNSNon-invasive vagus nerve stimulation in healthy humans reduces sympathetic nerve activity
Clancy et al. · Brain Stimulation · 2014 · n = 48
controlled trialstaVNSA pilot study of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for treatment-resistant anxiety disorders
George et al. · Brain Stimulation · 2008 · n = 11
controlled trialsiVNS
Registered trials — results pending
1 registered protocol with no published results yet. Listed for context; not counted in the evidence total.
Efficacy and Safety of Electroacupuncture Through Nerve Stimulation in Patients With Anxiety Disorders: Protocol for a Randomized, Assessor-Blind, Three-Arm, Parallel-Group Clinical Trial
Jung et al. · 2025 · protocol