Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32410932›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in neuroscience2020

Critical Review of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Challenges for Translation to Clinical Practice.

Jonathan Y Y Yap, Charlotte Keatch, Elisabeth Lambert, Will Woods, Paul R Stoddart, Tatiana Kameneva

5 registry-linked trialsOpen access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in neuroscience, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 5 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 214 papers, 15 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
214citing papers in PubMed, 15 pooled it
17.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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.

NCT05230628 naactive not recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

The Effectiveness of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation of the Auricular Branch of the Vagus Nerve in Loss Weight and Improving the Quality of Life in Patients With Obesity

TypeinterventionalSponsorNational Medical Research Center for Therapy and Preventive MedicineRan2022 to 2026Enrolled131ConditionsVagus Nerve Stimulation, ObesityArmsActive TENS, Sham TENS
NCT05417711 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2023, after this paper: background citation

Efficacy of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation Paired With Tailor-Made Notched Music Therapy Versus Tailor-made Notched Music Training for Chronic Subjective Tinnitus: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-blind, Controlled Clinical Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorSun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen UniversityRan2023 to 2026Enrolled388ConditionsTinnitus, Subjective, Vagus Nerve Stimulation, Music Therapy, Double-Blind MethodArmsTranscutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation Paired with Tailor-Made Notched Music Therapy, Tailor-made Notched Music Training
NCT06821893 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Vagus Auricular Stimulation for Tinnitus

TypeinterventionalSponsorWashington University School of MedicineRan2025 to 2025Enrolled40ConditionsTinnitusArmsVibrational stimulation, Sham
NCT06895005 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Effectiveness of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Upper Limb Motor Recovery After Stroke

TypeinterventionalSponsorFundación Cardiovascular de ColombiaRan2025 to 2025Enrolled30ConditionsMotor Impairment, Motor Impairments, Stroke, StrokeArmsTranscutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation + rehabilitation therapy, sham stimulation + rehabilitation therapy
NCT07420803 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Efficacy Of Auricular Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation In Treating Chronic Dizziness

TypeinterventionalSponsorMayo ClinicRan2026 to 2027Enrolled60ConditionsChronic Dizziness, Persistent Postural Perceptual DizzinessArmsSham Device, Auricular transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

214 citing papers in PubMed, 15 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 381 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation and exercise-induced autonomic regulation: a systematic review.Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society · 2026
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154 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

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Jonathan Y Y YapARC Training Centre in Biodevices, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia.
Charlotte KeatchFaculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia.
Elisabeth LambertSchool of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia.
Will WoodsSchool of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia.
Paul R StoddartARC Training Centre in Biodevices, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia.
Tatiana KamenevaFaculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia.
Swinburne University of Technology · AUUniversity of Melbourne · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Several studies have illustrated that transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) can elicit therapeutic effects that are similar to those produced by its invasive counterpart, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). VNS is an FDA-approved therapy for the treatment of both depression and epilepsy, but it is limited to the management of more severe, intervention-resistant cases as a second or third-line treatment option due to perioperative risks involved with device implantation. In contrast, tVNS is a non-invasive technique that involves the application of electrical currents through surface electrodes at select locations, most commonly targeting the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (ABVN) and the cervical branch of the vagus nerve in the neck. Although it has been shown that tVNS elicits hypo- and hyperactivation in various regions of the brain associated with anxiety and mood regulation, the mechanism of action and influence of stimulation parameters on clinical outcomes remains predominantly hypothetical. Suppositions are largely based on correlations between the neurobiology of the vagus nerve and its effects on neural activity. However, tVNS has also been investigated for several other disorders, including tinnitus, migraine and pain, by targeting the vagus nerve at sites in both the ear and the neck. As most of the described methods differ in the parameters and protocols applied, there is currently no firm evidence on the optimal location for tVNS or the stimulation parameters that provide the greatest therapeutic effects for a specific condition. This review presents the current status of tVNS with a focus on stimulation parameters, stimulation sites, and available devices. For tVNS to reach its full potential as a non-invasive and clinically relevant therapy, it is imperative that systematic studies be undertaken to reveal the mechanism of action and optimal stimulation modalities.

Indexed as

neuromodulationneurostimulationtranscutaneousvagus nervevagus nerve stimulation

Identifiers

PMID32410932
PMCPMC7199464
OpenAlexW3022810174

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.