Condition · Evidence Hub
Vagus Nerve Stimulation for PTSD
Does vagus nerve stimulation help with ptsd? 25 human studies have investigated VNS for ptsd, including 2 systematic reviews, 15 RCTs, and 6 controlled trials, published between 2012 and 2026, with 9 published since 2022. Studies use transcutaneous auricular (taVNS), transcutaneous cervical (tcVNS), and implanted (iVNS) 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 · 15 RCTs · 6 controlled trials · 2 narrative reviews
Evidence by Tier
strongest → weakest
- 2Systematic reviews & meta-analyses
- 15Randomised controlled trials
- 6Controlled clinical trials
- 2Narrative & scoping reviews
Stimulation Method
- 15taVNS
- 8tcVNS
- 2iVNS
Research Momentum
9 of 25 studies (36%) published since 2022.
The studies
25 studies · strongest evidence firstTranscutaneous vagal nerve stimulation for the treatment of trauma- and stressor-related disorders: systematic review of randomised controlled studies
Benzouak et al. · BJPsych Open · 2025
systematic reviewstaVNSVagus nerve stimulation in psychiatry: a systematic review of the available evidence
Cimpianu et al. · Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996) · 2017
systematic reviewstaVNSEffects of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in World Trade Center Responders: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study
Debnath et al. · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2026 · n = 32
RCTstaVNSTranscutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Does Not Accelerate Fear Extinction
D'Agostini et al. · Psychophysiology · 2025 · n = 79
RCTstaVNSReady for translation: non-invasive auricular vagus nerve stimulation inhibits psychophysiological indices of stimulus-specific fear and facilitates responding to repeated exposure in phobic individuals
Szeska et al. · Translational Psychiatry · 2025 · n = 32
RCTstaVNSUnderstanding Mental Health Needs and Gathering Feedback on Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Potential PTSD Treatment among 9/11 Responders Living with PTSD Symptoms 20 Years Later: A Qualitative Approach
Schwartz et al. · International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
RCTstaVNSNoninvasive Cervical Vagal Nerve Stimulation Alters Brain Activity During Traumatic Stress in Individuals With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Wittbrodt et al. · Psychosomatic Medicine · 2021 · n = 22
RCTstcVNSTranscutaneous Cervical Vagus Nerve Stimulation Inhibits the Reciprocal of the Pulse Transit Time's Responses to Traumatic Stress in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Gazi et al. · Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference · 2021
RCTstcVNSPromoting long-term inhibition of human fear responses by non-invasive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation during extinction training
Szeska et al. · Scientific Reports · 2020 · n = 80
RCTstaVNSTranscutaneous cervical vagal nerve stimulation reduces sympathetic responses to stress in posttraumatic stress disorder: A double-blind, randomized, sham controlled trial
Gurel et al. · Neurobiology of Stress · 2020 · n = 25
RCTstcVNSTranscutaneous vagal nerve stimulation blocks stress-induced activation of Interleukin-6 and interferon-gamma in posttraumatic stress disorder: A double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial
Bremner et al. · Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health · 2020 · n = 25
RCTstcVNSNon-invasive vagal nerve stimulation decreases brain activity during trauma scripts
Wittbrodt et al. · Brain Stimulation · 2020 · n = 19
RCTstcVNSThe effect of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on fear generalization and subsequent fear extinction
Burger et al. · Neurobiology of Learning and Memory · 2019 · n = 58
RCTstaVNSTranscutaneous vagus nerve stimulation and extinction of prepared fear: A conceptual non-replication
Burger et al. · Scientific Reports · 2018 · n = 85
RCTstaVNSMixed evidence for the potential of non-invasive transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation to improve the extinction and retention of fear
Burger et al. · Behaviour Research and Therapy · 2017 · n = 42
RCTstaVNSThe effects of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on conditioned fear extinction in humans
Burger et al. · Neurobiology of Learning and Memory · 2016 · n = 31
RCTstaVNSEffects of yoga on the autonomic nervous system, gamma-aminobutyric-acid, and allostasis in epilepsy, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder
Streeter et al. · Medical hypotheses · 2012
RCTstaVNSA pilot study of brain correlates of long-term treatment with transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation in posttraumatic stress disorder
Bremner et al. · Journal of Affective Disorders Reports · 2026 · n = 11
controlled trialstcVNSVagus nerve stimulation therapy for treatment-resistant PTSD
Powers et al. · Brain Stimulation · 2025 · n = 9
controlled trialsiVNSPreliminary evidence of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation effects on sleep in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder
Bottari et al. · Journal of Sleep Research · 2024 · n = 13
controlled trialstaVNSEffect of transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation on declarative and working memory in patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A pilot study
Choudhary et al. · Journal of Affective Disorders · 2023 · n = 15
controlled trialstcVNSTranscutaneous Cervical Vagal Nerve Stimulation in Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Pilot Study of Effects on PTSD Symptoms and Interleukin-6 Response to Stress
Bremner et al. · Journal of Affective Disorders Reports · 2021 · n = 25
controlled trialstcVNSNon-invasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation Effects on Hyperarousal and Autonomic State in Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and History of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Preliminary Evidence
Lamb et al. · Frontiers in Medicine · 2017 · n = 22
controlled trialstaVNSApplication of Noninvasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation to Stress-Related Psychiatric Disorders
Bremner et al. · Journal of personalized medicine · 2020
narrative reviewsiVNSVagus nerve stimulation as a tool for enhancing extinction in exposure-based therapies
Noble et al. · Psychopharmacology · 2019
narrative reviewstaVNS
Registered trials — results pending
1 registered protocol with no published results yet. Listed for context; not counted in the evidence total.
Transauricular vagus nerve stimulation in preventing post-traumatic stress disorder in emergency trauma surgery patients in China: a study protocol for a multicenter, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial
Zhang et al. · 2025 · protocol