Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29375915›Full record

Trial reportNeural plasticity2017

Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation Combined with Robotic Rehabilitation Improves Upper Limb Function after Stroke.

Fioravante Capone, Sandra Miccinilli, Giovanni Pellegrino, Loredana Zollo, Davide Simonetti, Federica Bressi, Lucia Florio, Federico Ranieri, Emma Falato, Alessandro Di Santo and 4 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Neural plasticity, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03592745 (Evaluating the Use of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation), which is not on this map. Cited by 82 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
82citing papers in PubMed, 11 pooled it
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT03592745 phase2completednot on this mapstarted 2018, after this paper: background citation

Evaluating the Use of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS) and Robotic Training to Improve Upper Limb Motor Recovery After Stroke

TypeinterventionalSponsorNorthwell HealthRan2018 to 2021Enrolled36ConditionsStroke, Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA), HemiparesisArmsTranscutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS), Sham Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

82 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 136 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Movement Disorders, from Principles to a Systematic Review of Evidence.Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society · 2025
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22 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Fioravante CaponeUnit of Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7639-5104
Sandra MiccinilliUnit of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.
Giovanni PellegrinoSan Camillo Hospital IRCCS, Venice, Italy.
Loredana ZolloUnit of Biomedical Robotics and Biomicrosystems, Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8015-010X
Davide SimonettiUnit of Biomedical Robotics and Biomicrosystems, Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.
Federica BressiUnit of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.
Lucia FlorioUnit of Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.
Federico RanieriUnit of Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.
Emma FalatoUnit of Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.
Alessandro Di SantoUnit of Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.
Alessio PepeUnit of Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.
Eugenio GuglielmelliUnit of Biomedical Robotics and Biomicrosystems, Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.
Silvia SterziUnit of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.
Vincenzo Di LazzaroUnit of Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9113-5925
Università Campus Bio-Medico · ITIRCCS San Camillo Hospital · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The efficacy of standard rehabilitative therapy for improving upper limb functions after stroke is limited; thus, alternative strategies are needed. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with rehabilitation is a promising approach, but the invasiveness of this technique limits its clinical application. Recently, a noninvasive method to stimulate vagus nerve has been developed. The aim of the present study was to explore whether noninvasive VNS combined with robotic rehabilitation can enhance upper limb functionality in chronic stroke. Safety and efficacy of this combination have been assessed within a proof-of-principle, double-blind, semirandomized, sham-controlled trial. Fourteen patients with either ischemic or haemorrhagic chronic stroke were randomized to robot-assisted therapy associated with real or sham VNS, delivered for 10 working days. Efficacy was evaluated by change in upper extremity Fugl-Meyer score. After intervention, there were no adverse events and Fugl-Meyer scores were significantly better in the real group compared to the sham group. Our pilot study confirms that VNS is feasible in stroke patients and can produce a slight clinical improvement in association to robotic rehabilitation. Compared to traditional stimulation, noninvasive VNS seems to be safer and more tolerable. Further studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of this innovative approach.

Indexed as

AdultAgedBlood PressureDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHeart RateHumansMaleMiddle AgedRoboticsStroke RehabilitationTranscutaneous Electric Nerve StimulationTreatment OutcomeUpper ExtremityVagus Nerve Stimulation

Identifiers

PMID29375915
PMCPMC5742496
OpenAlexW2772182345

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.