Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37297867›Full record

ReviewJournal of clinical medicine2023

Effects of Non-Invasive Neuromodulation of the Vagus Nerve for Management of Tinnitus: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

David Fernández-Hernando, Cesar Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, Ana Machado-Martín, Santiago Angulo-Díaz-Parreño, Francisco J García-Esteo, Juan A Mesa-Jiménez

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of clinical medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 14% 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Critical appraisal of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation for tinnitus in normal hearing subjects: methodological challenges and future directions.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Review
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 3 institutions in 1 country.

David Fernández-HernandoUniversidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Spain.ORCID 0000-0003-4387-9046
Cesar Fernández-de-Las-PeñasDepartment of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28922 Alcorcón, Spain.ORCID 0000-0003-3772-9690
Ana Machado-MartínServicio de Otorrino-Laringología, Hospital Universitario Quiron Salud Pozuelo, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain.
Santiago Angulo-Díaz-ParreñoFacultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo CEU, 28660 Madrid, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-7868-7442
Francisco J García-EsteoUniversidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-9072-4904
Juan A Mesa-JiménezUniversidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-7285-1870
Universidad San Pablo CEU · ESHospital Universitario Quirónsalud Madrid · ESUniversidad Rey Juan Carlos · ES

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of actual external stimuli. Other associated symptoms include frustration, annoyance, anxiety, depression, stress, cognitive dysfunction, insomnia, or emotional exhaustion.

objectiveIn this study, we aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of the non-invasive neuromodulation of the vagus nerve in patients with tinnitus.

methodsSix databases were searched from their date of inception to 15 June 2022 to identify clinical trials in which at least one group received any form of non-invasive neuromodulation of the vagus nerve for tinnitus management, with outcomes based on annoyance and related disability. Data on participants, interventions, blinding strategies, assessment outcomes, and results were extracted by two reviewers.

resultsThe search identified 183 articles with five clinical trials eligible for inclusion in the review and four for the meta-analysis. The methodological quality scores ranged from 6 to 8 (mean: 7.3, SD: 0.8) points. The meta-analysis identified a significant positive effect on THI post-treatment for unilateral auricular stimulation (hg = 0.69, 95% CI 0.06, 1.32) or transcutaneous nerve stimulation (hg = 0.51, 95% CI 0.1, 0.9) compared with a comparative group. No effect on loudness intensity was observed.

conclusionThe results of the meta-analysis suggest that the application of the non-invasive neuromodulation of the vagus nerve has a positive effect post-treatment in terms of related disability in patients with tinnitus, although its clinical relevance is low. No firm conclusions about the effect of the non-invasive neuromodulation of the vagus nerve on tinnitus are available based on the current literature.

Indexed as

auricular transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulationmeta-analysisnon-invasive neuromodulationrelated disabilitytinnitusvagus nerve

Identifiers

PMID37297867
PMCPMC10253894
OpenAlexW4378470790

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.