Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation reduces spontaneous but not induced negative thought intrusions in high worriers
Burger AM, Van der Does W, Thayer JF, Brosschot JF, Verkuil B
Biological Psychology · 2019
Key finding
In an RCT of 97 high worriers, taVNS reduced spontaneous negative thought intrusions versus earlobe sham, though effects after an active worry induction were mixed and heart-rate variability was unchanged.
Auto-extracted · verification pendingHow we verify
- Condition
- Anxiety
- Stimulation
- taVNS
- Evidence tier
- Randomised Controlled Trial
- Participants
- 97
Share this study
Download the citation card as a PNG, or copy a link to this page.
Cite this study
Burger, A. M., Van der Does, W., Thayer, J. F., Brosschot, J. F., & Verkuil, B. (2019). Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation reduces spontaneous but not induced negative thought intrusions in high worriers. Biological Psychology, 142, 80-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.01.014
Related studies in Anxiety
Evaluating PEMF vagus nerve stimulation through neck application: A randomized placebo study with volunteers
Jerman et al. · Electromagnetic biology and medicine · 2025 · Randomised Controlled Trial
Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Attenuates Early Increases in Heart Rate Associated With the Cold Pressor Test
Austelle et al. · Neuromodulation · 2024 · Randomised Controlled Trial
Transcutaneous 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 · Randomised Controlled Trial
Transcutaneous 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 · Randomised Controlled Trial
Summary by Vagus Research. Always consult the primary source for the authoritative record.