Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Studies suggest taVNS may improve postoperative outcomes including pain, anxiety, adverse events, and recovery. In animal studies, taVNS reduced infarct volume by 28% compared to 50% for implanted VNS, attributed to weaker activation of central vagal pathways as evidenced by reduced c-Fos expression in the NTS. The trial uses 30-minute active TaVNS sessions with stimulation intensity individualized to be perceptible but not significantly uncomfortable. The optimal TaVNS dosing strategy for anxiety relief is not yet established. Existing taVNS studies vary in stimulation parameters, and optimal parameters for postoperative pain have not been summarised previously. TaVNS has clinical evidence for effects on limbic-cortical circuits and has been reported to improve outcomes in epilepsy, depression, insomnia, anxiety, and sleep quality. taVNS is a non-invasive intervention that electrically stimulates ear skin innervated by the auricular vagus nerve branch. TaVNS stimulates the auricular branch of the vagus nerve using skin-surface electrodes, usually in the auricular concha. The ABVN terminates in the nucleus tractus solitarius, which relays sensory information to the thalamus, hypot…