ReviewBJPsych open2025
Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation for the treatment of trauma- and stressor-related disorders: systematic review of randomised controlled studies.
Review in BJPsych open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Mechanistic insights into combined prefrontal tDCS and vagal nerve stimulation for stress regulation.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundVagal nerve stimulation (VNS) has recently emerged as a prospective therapeutic approach for addressing trauma- and stressor-related disorders (TSRDs).
aimsWe assessed findings from randomised controlled trials for the safety and efficacy of VNS as a viable treatment for TSRDs.
methodWe systematically searched Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Central databases, trial registries, preprint servers and Google Scholar from inception to December 2023. Rayyan software was used for screening procedures. Two reviewers independently completed data extraction based on the inclusion criteria.
resultsWe synthesised data by using a narrative approach. A total of 322 abstracts were identified and assessed, and seven studies were included in the review. Based on evidence synthesis, the present state of VNS as a treatment intervention for TSRDs, namely post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is limited and does not meet clinical expectations. The overall certainty of evidence was very low. However, evidence shows that VNS may alter and reduce specific aspects associated with PTSD phenomenology, including the reduction of anger responses and the attenuation of hyperarousal during psychological interventions.
conclusionsAlthough preliminary analyses provide evidence that transcutaneous VNS temporarily increases parasympathetic activity under specific conditions, these effects appear to be short-lasting, and the impact of repeated administration on long-term autonomic function remains unknown. Future randomised control trials should evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of VNS for treating TSRDs.
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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.