ArticleThe journal of headache and pain2018
Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation for treatment of cluster headache: early UK clinical experience.
Article in The journal of headache and pain, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Non-invasive neuromodulation for migraine and cluster headache: a systematic review of clinical trials.Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry · 2019Pooled it
- Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) for the preventive treatment of episodic migraine: The multicentre, double-blind, randomised, sham-controlled PREMIUM trial.Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache · 2019Trial
- Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation for the acute treatment of episodic and chronic cluster headache: A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled ACT2 study.Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache · 2018Trial
- Beyond traditional treatments: vagal nerve stimulation for painful temporomandibular disorders.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Peripheral Parasympathetic Networks in Pain: A Systems-Level Review of Mechanisms and Modulations.Cellular and molecular neurobiology · 2025Review
- Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Cluster Headache: A Clinical Practice Guideline.Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain · 2025Review
- Hallmarks of primary headache: part 3 - cluster headache.The journal of headache and pain · 2025Review
- Article
- Update on Neuromodulation for Migraine and Other Primary Headache Disorders: Recent Advances and New Indications.Current pain and headache reports · 2025Review
- Neuromodulation for Headache Management in Pregnancy.Current pain and headache reports · 2025Review
- Neuromodulation for Craniofacial Pain and Headaches.Biomedicines · 2023Review
- Non-invasive neuromodulation of the cervical vagus nerve in rare primary headaches.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in the treatment of disorders of consciousness: mechanisms and applications.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2023Review
- An open-label observational study and meta-analysis of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation in medically refractory chronic cluster headache.Frontiers in neurology · 2023Article
- The trigeminal pathways.Journal of neurology · 2022Review
- Neuromodulation for Chronic Daily Headache.Current pain and headache reports · 2022Review
- Psychedelics in the Treatment of Headache and Chronic Pain Disorders.Current topics in behavioral neurosciences · 2022Review
- Non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Cerebral Stroke: Current Status and Future Perspectives.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2022Review
- Neurostimulation Treatment in Chronic Cluster Headache-a Narrative Review.Current pain and headache reports · 2021Review
- gammaCore for Cluster Headaches: A NICE Medical Technologies Guidance.PharmacoEconomics - open · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundEvidence supports the use of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS; gammaCore®) as a promising therapeutic option for patients with cluster headache (CH). We conducted this audit of real-world data from patients with CH, the majority of whom were treatment refractory, to explore early UK clinical experience with nVNS used acutely, preventively, or both.
methodsWe retrospectively analysed data from 30 patients with CH (29 chronic, 1 episodic) who submitted individual funding requests for nVNS to the National Health Service. All patients had responded to adjunctive nVNS therapy during an evaluation period (typical duration, 3-6 months). Data collected from patient interviews, treatment diaries, and physician notes were summarised with descriptive statistics. Paired t tests were used to examine statistical significance.
resultsThe mean (SD) CH attack frequency decreased from 26.6 (17.1) attacks/wk. before initiation of nVNS therapy to 9.5 (11.0) attacks/wk. (P < 0.01) afterward. Mean (SD) attack duration decreased from 51.9 (36.7) minutes to 29.4 (28.5) minutes (P < 0.01), and mean (SD) attack severity (rated on a 10-point scale) decreased from 7.8 (2.3) to 6.0 (2.6) (P < 0.01). Use of abortive treatments also decreased. Favourable changes in the use of preventive medication were also observed. No serious device-related adverse events were reported.
conclusionsSignificant decreases in attack frequency, severity, and duration were observed in these patients with CH who did not respond to or were intolerant of multiple preventive and/or acute treatments. These real-world findings complement evidence from clinical trials demonstrating the efficacy and safety of nVNS in CH.
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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.