Condition · Evidence Hub
Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Schizophrenia
Does vagus nerve stimulation help with schizophrenia? 16 human studies have investigated VNS for schizophrenia, including 2 systematic reviews, 3 RCTs, and 4 controlled trials, published between 2007 and 2026, with 9 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 · 3 RCTs · 4 controlled trials · 7 narrative reviews
Evidence by Tier
strongest → weakest
- 2Systematic reviews & meta-analyses
- 3Randomised controlled trials
- 4Controlled clinical trials
- 7Narrative & scoping reviews
Stimulation Method
- 7taVNS
- 7iVNS
- 2tcVNS
Research Momentum
9 of 16 studies (56%) published since 2022 — an actively growing evidence base.
The studies
16 studies · strongest evidence firstAssessment of Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Interventions for Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis
Tseng et al. · JAMA psychiatry · 2022 · n = 2,211
systematic reviewstcVNSNon-invasive brain stimulation for negative symptoms in schizophrenia: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis
Osoegawa et al. · Schizophrenia research · 2018 · n = 1,272
systematic reviewstaVNSEffect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on the improvement of cognitive function in older patients with schizophrenia
Xiang et al. · General Psychiatry · 2026 · n = 51
RCTstaVNSEfficacy and safety of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation for patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia with predominantly negative symptoms: a randomized clinical trial and efficacy sensitivity biomarkers
Cui et al. · Molecular psychiatry · 2025 · n = 50
RCTstaVNSTranscutaneous noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) in the treatment of schizophrenia: a bicentric randomized controlled pilot study
Hasan et al. · European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2015
RCTstaVNSPrenatal electroacupuncture modulates maternal-fetal immune activation via a brain-to-splenic signal
Zhang et al. · Cell reports · 2025
controlled trialsiVNSFunctional Connectivity Analysis of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS) Using Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
Keatch et al. · IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society · 2023
controlled trialstaVNSUnderstanding the interoception in schizophrenia through the window of Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Nayok et al. · Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews · 2022
controlled trialsiVNS[Interictal psychosis of epilepsy]
de Toffol et al. · L'Encephale · 2020
controlled trialsiVNSTreatment trials for negative symptoms in schizophrenia
Glenthøj et al. · Current opinion in psychiatry · 2025
narrative reviewsiVNSSelf-Regulatory Neuronal Mechanisms and Long-Term Challenges in Schizophrenia Treatment
Markiewicz-Gospodarek et al. · Brain sciences · 2023
narrative reviewsiVNSBrain stimulation and other biological non-pharmacological interventions in mental disorders: An umbrella review
Rosson et al. · Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews · 2022
narrative reviewstaVNSElectroconvulsive Therapy and Other Neuromodulation Techniques for the Treatment of Psychosis
Maley et al. · Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America · 2019
narrative reviewsiVNSCould vagus nerve stimulation target hippocampal hyperactivity to improve cognition in schizophrenia?
Smucny et al. · Frontiers in psychiatry · 2015
narrative reviewsiVNS[Non-invasive brain stimulation for treatment of schizophrenic psychoses]
Hasan et al. · Der Nervenarzt · 2015
narrative reviewstaVNSBrain stimulation for the treatment of psychiatric disorders
George et al. · Current opinion in psychiatry · 2007
narrative reviewstcVNS