Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41125287›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Evaluating the efficacy and safety of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation for systemic lupus erythematosus: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Haomin Sun, Hantong Hu, Zhiyuan Bian, Hanyu Liu, Mei Huang, Siqi Chen, Li Wang, Wenjun Xiao, Yuanyuan Zhang, Jianqiao Fang and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
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

11 authors.

Haomin SunThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Hantong HuThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8759-5083
Zhiyuan BianThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Hanyu LiuThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Mei HuangThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Siqi ChenThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Li WangThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Wenjun XiaoHangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Yuanyuan ZhangHangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Jianqiao FangThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China sunhaomin7@163.com fangjianqiao7532@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4499-0352
Xiaomei ShaoThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China sunhaomin7@163.com fangjianqiao7532@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-6958-4831

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionConventional treatments, like immunosuppressants for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), are associated with many side effects. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) emerges as a promising adjunctive therapy, potentially offering a more benign therapeutic avenue for patients with SLE. The increased number of clinical trials, including randomised clinical trials, highlights the importance of a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tVNS in treating SLE. Consequently, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis protocol is to synthesise the available evidence to elucidate the efficacy and safety of tVNS for the treatment of SLE. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Databases include PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, Wanfang Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database and Chinese BioMedical Literature Database. Data selection, extraction and quality assessment by two independent reviewers. Fatigue is the primary outcome, and secondary outcomes include pain, quality of life, negative emotions, adverse events and measures of SLE disease activity. We will use instruments appropriate for each study type to assess the risk of bias. The credibility of evidence will be evaluated using the grading of recommendation, assessment, development and evaluation system. For meta-analysis, we will use RevMan software to perform data synthesis (V.5.4.1). Besides, publication bias assessment, sensitivity, subgroup and meta-regression analyses will be conducted as appropriate. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: All data used in our study will be extracted from published clinical trials and, therefore, no ethical approval is required. Study results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and relevant academic conferences. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42024525580.

Indexed as

Lupus Erythematosus, SystemicTranscutaneous Electric Nerve StimulationVagus Nerve StimulationHumansMeta-Analysis as TopicQuality of LifeResearch DesignSystematic Reviews as TopicTreatment Outcomeautonomic nervous systemfatiguepain intensitysystematic review and meta-analysistranscutaneous vagus nerve stimulation

Identifiers

PMID41125287
PMCPMC12548598

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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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.