Condition · Evidence Hub
Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Does vagus nerve stimulation help with chronic fatigue syndrome? 8 human studies have investigated VNS for chronic fatigue syndrome, including 2 systematic reviews, 2 RCTs, and 2 controlled trials, published between 1987 and 2026, with 7 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.
2 systematic reviews · 2 RCTs · 2 controlled trials · 2 narrative reviews
Evidence by Tier
strongest → weakest
- 2Systematic reviews & meta-analyses
- 2Randomised controlled trials
- 2Controlled clinical trials
- 2Narrative & scoping reviews
Stimulation Method
- 5taVNS
- 2iVNS
- 1tcVNS
Research Momentum
7 of 8 studies (88%) published since 2022 — an actively growing evidence base.
The studies
8 studies · strongest evidence firstPotential application of brain-gut axis-based treatments in Long COVID and ME/CFS: a case-based systematic review
Kim et al. · Journal of translational medicine · 2026 · n = 790
systematic reviewstaVNSComplementary and alternative medicine for long COVID: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials
Yang et al. · Therapeutic advances in chronic disease · 2023 · n = 1,195
systematic reviewstaVNSThe effects of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation on fatigue in participants with primary Sjogren's syndrome
Tarn et al. · Neuromodulation · 2023 · n = 40
RCTstcVNSOptimizing Noninvasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Protocol for a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial
Contreras et al. · JMIR research protocols · 2023 · n = 10
RCTsiVNSAchieving symptom relief in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis by targeting the neuro-immune interface and optimizing disease tolerance
Rodriguez et al. · Oxford open immunology · 2023
controlled trialstaVNSReflex gastric relaxation in response to distention of the duodenum
De Ponti et al. · The American journal of physiology · 1987
controlled trialsiVNSGulf War Illness: Neurological Impacts, Pathophysiological Insights, and Therapeutic Prospects
Mantilla et al. · Molecular neurobiology · 2026
narrative reviewstaVNSNeuropsychiatric Lyme Disease and Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Biniaz-Harris et al. · Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023
narrative reviewstaVNS
Registered trials — results pending
1 registered protocol with no published results yet. Listed for context; not counted in the evidence total.
Vagus nerve stimulation as a novel treatment for systemic lupus erythematous: study protocol for a randomised, parallel-group, sham-controlled investigator-initiated clinical trial, the SLE-VNS study
Zinglersen et al. · 2022 · protocol