Vagus Nerve Stimulation

This study will examine whether combining a single dose of psilocybin with non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), a potential inducer of neuroplasticity and enhanced memory formation, will enhance the long-term beneficial behavioral effects of psilocybin when compared to sham taVNS or no VNS by allowing memory for insights gained during the psychedelic experience to remain vivid after they will have faded in subjects who receive psilocybin followed by sham taVNS or no VNS.

Effective pain management remains a major clinical challenge. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has emerged as a promising, non-invasive neuromodulation technique due to its safety, ease of administration, and cost-effectiveness. Preliminary evidence suggests that taVNS exerts analgesic effects by activating afferent vagal fibers, which integrate signals in key central nodes such as the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). This process subsequently modulates pain-processing networks, neurotransmitter balance, inflammatory responses, and autonomic function. Despite its potential, the precise central neural mechanisms underlying taVNS-induced analgesia remain unclear, limiting the optimization of stimulation parameters (e.g., intensity, frequency, and target specificity) and the enhancement of long-term therapeutic outcomes. Previous studies have highlighted the role of taVNS in activating descending pain inhibitory pathways and modulating the limbic system, yet a comprehensive understanding of the causal neurophysiological dynamics is still lacking. This study aims to investigate the analgesic efficacy of taVNS using a capsaicin-induced pain model. Furthermore, by employing Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation combined with Electroencephalography (TMS-EEG), we seek to elucidate the central neural mechanisms of taVNS. By integrating causal intervention with high-temporal resolution brain activity recording, this research will provide scientific insights into the modulation of pain-related pathways-such as descending inhibitory and cognitive-affective networks-ultimately facilitating the development of standardized, individualized, and precise clinical interventions for pain management.

This study will examine whether noninvasive, transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tcVNS) can help restore consciousness in patients in the operating room and the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). The study will also investigate if tcVNS can expedite discharge from the PACU and examine whether tcVNS administerd in the PACU helps reduce delirium and depression after surgery. The study will also evaluate whether tcVNS speeds cognitive recovery from emergence of anesthesia and surgery.

This randomized, sham-controlled, crossover study investigates the acute autonomic effects of transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation (tcVNS) applied at five different frequencies (0 Hz/sham, 10 Hz, 25 Hz, 50 Hz, 100 Hz) in healthy adults. The primary objective is to determine how stimulation frequency modulates heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure, and respiratory rate. The study aims to establish a frequency-specific dose-response model using validated physiological measurements.

This study investigates the effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on cognitive performance in healthy adults. The study uses a sham-controlled, cross-over design in which each participant receives both active taVNS and sham stimulation in separate sessions. Each participant completes both conditions (active and sham) in a randomized order using a crossover design. Cognitive performance will be assessed before and after each session using standardized tests. The study also explores whether males and females respond differently to taVNS, in order to identify potential sex-related differences in cognitive outcomes.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether 100HZ respiratory-gated vagus nerve stimulation (RAVANS) can improve the non-motor symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). It will also learn the safety of 100HZ RAVANS. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can 100HZ RAVANS improve apathy in people with PD? Did the participants have any side effects or safety issues when undergoing 100HZ RAVANS? Researchers compared 100HZ RAVANS with sham stimulation (low-dose stimulation of the same site and treatment parameters) to see if 100HZ RAVANS could improve non-motor symptoms in patients with PD. Participants will: Receive 100HZ RAVANS or sham stimulation for 2 weeks. Neuropsychological assessment, imaging and biological sample collection were conducted before and after the entire cycle.

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a novel non-invasive neuromodulation technique. Existing evidence suggested that taVNS improves pain management, sleep quality, inflammatory responses, and gastrointestinal recovery after surgery. This study is designed to test the hypothesis that perioperative use of taVNS may improve quality of recovery in patients after major noncardiac surgery.

According to the 3D-CAM scale, evaluate the incidence of Postoperative Delirium within 5 days after surgery in elderly patients receiving taVNS.The results are expected to provide evidence of the safety and efficacy of perioperative prophylactic use of taVNS in the clinical application of improving postoperative brain health in elderly patients, as well as theoretical and practical basis for subsequent studies or clinical applications.

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the efficacy and safety of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) combined with rehabilitation in improving upper extremity motor function after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Researchers will evaluate the efficacy and safety of VNS by comparing the improvements of arm motor function post-ICH in the active VNS combined rehabilitation group with that in the sham VNS combined rehabilitation group (actual intensity 0 mA). Participants in this study will undergo a surgical procedure to implant the VNS system and will subsequently recieve a 6 weeks in-clinic therapy, followed by an additional 6 weeks home exercise. During the final 6 weeks, participants will either recieve in-clinic therapy or maintain their home exercise, depending on their assigned group.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) works to treat motor and neurocognitive deficits after ischemic stroke when applied within 30 days after onset of stroke. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does tVNS improve motor deficits measured by the Fugl-Mayer assessment after ischemic stroke? * Does tVNS ameliorate stroke-related cognitive impairment? Researchers will compare tVNS to a placebo (sham stimulation, i.e. an electrode is fixed on the ear without applying electrical impulses ) to see if tVNS works to treat motor and cognitive deficits after stroke . Participants will: * Receive tVNS or sham stimulation for 30 minutes 5 days a week during 5 weeks after ischemic stroke * Receive smotor and cognitive training during the tVNS or sham stimulation * Will take part on a standardized stroke rehabilitation program during the 5 weeks in a rehabilitation clinic.

Postoperative sleep disorder is one of the common complications after general anesthesia. Compared to patients of various ages, elderly patients have a much higher incidence of postoperative sleep disturbance. Postoperative sleep disorders can have many adverse effects, including cognitive impairment, altered pain perception, and emotional disorders, which are not conducive to the long-term prognosis of elderly patients. Enhancing postoperative sleep quality in older patients has become a significant public health concern in the current day due to its direct relationship to both maximizing surgical outcomes and enhancing physical health. This study intends to conduct a prospective, randomized controlled, triple-blind clinical trial on use of transauricular vagal nerve stimulation to improve sleep disorders in elderly patients after general anesthesia surgery, aiming to investigate the efficacy of transauricular vagal nerve stimulation in postoperative sleep disorders in elderly patients.

This clinical study is a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical study. Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat sen University was the central unit, and Nanjing First Hospital, Sun Yat Sen people's Hospital, Guanfzhou Panyu central Hospital and Zhuhai integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine hospital were the cooperative units. In this study, 388 patients with chronic subjective tinnitus were recruited. In view of chronic subjective tinnitus, a common ear disease, the study gave the patients three months of treatment with transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation paired with tailor-made notched music therapy or tailor-made notched music training alone. By comparing the changes of subjective scale scores related to tinnitus before and after treatment in patients receiving two different therapies, such as THI, VAS, BAI, BDI, PSQI, to evaluate the efficacy of the two therapies, so as to judge whether transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation paired with tailor-made notched music therapy is better than tailor-made notched music training alone. In addition, the study will continue to follow up the patients after the treatment for one year to observe the difference in the long-term sustained efficacy of the two therapies. This clinical study will also evaluate the two therapies from the perspective of compliance and safety, and explore the factors that affect the efficacy of the two therapies.

Background: Hemiplegia is a common complication after a stroke. Studies have shown that traditional medical and rehabilitation treatments are not good for improving patients' motor function, deep brain stimulation (DBS) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) can improve the motor function of patients, but there is no comparative study between them. Objectives: This study compares the efficacy and safety of DBS and VNS in the recovery of motor function in patients with post-stroke hemiplegia, determining the best treatment for patients with post-stroke hemiplegia, and providing high-level clinical evidence for patients and clinicians to choose from. Methods/Design: This is a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, cross-controlled pilot study. A total of 98 patients with post-stroke hemiplegia are assigned to receive DBS or VNS. After 3 and 6 months of follow-up, all the devices are turned off. After a 2-week washout, the control group is turned on, but the stimulation group is given sham stimulation. After 9 and 12 months of follow-up, all the devices are turned on. Then, at postoperative 15 and 18 months, postoperative neuroimaging and various post-stroke motor-related scores were performed for data collection and analysis. Discussion: We propose a study design and rationale to compare the efficacy and safety of DBS and VNS in patients with post-stroke hemiplegia to provide evidence and reference for implantable neuromodulation in the treatment of post-stroke dysfunction, and to compare the therapeutic effects of DBS and VNS to provide evidence for patient and clinical diagnosis and treatment choices. Study limitations are related to the small sample size and short study period.