Promoting long-term inhibition of human fear responses by non-invasive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation during extinction training
Szeska C, Richter J, Wendt J, Weymar M, Hamm AO
Scientific Reports · 2020
Key finding
In an RCT, taVNS promoted longer-term inhibition of human fear responses, engaging ventromedial-prefrontal mechanisms.
Auto-extracted · verification pendingHow we verify
- Condition
- PTSD
- Stimulation
- taVNS
- Evidence tier
- Randomised Controlled Trial
- Participants
- 80
Share this study
Download the citation card as a PNG, or copy a link to this page.
Cite this study
Szeska, C., Richter, J., Wendt, J., Weymar, M., & Hamm, A. O. (2020). Promoting long-term inhibition of human fear responses by non-invasive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation during extinction training. Scientific Reports, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58412-w
Related studies in PTSD
Transcutaneous 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 Review / Meta-Analysis
Vagus nerve stimulation in psychiatry: a systematic review of the available evidence
Cimpianu et al. · Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996) · 2017 · Systematic Review / Meta-Analysis
Effects 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 · Randomised Controlled Trial
Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Does Not Accelerate Fear Extinction
D'Agostini et al. · Psychophysiology · 2025 · Randomised Controlled Trial
Summary by Vagus Research. Always consult the primary source for the authoritative record.