Trial reportBMC neurology2026
Effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation added to robotic rehabilitation in patients with ischemic stroke: a randomized clinical trial.
Trial report in BMC neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06381089 (The Effect of Robotic Rehabilitation and Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Addition to Robotic Rehabilitation on the Patient's Functional Level and Autonomic Nervous System in Patients With Ischemic Stroke), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The trial behind it
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The Effect of Robotic Rehabilitation and Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Addition to Robotic Rehabilitation on the Patient's Functional Level and Autonomic Nervous System in Patients With Ischemic Stroke
Who cites it
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5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThis study aimed to investigate the effects of adding transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) to robotic rehabilitation on functional outcomes and neuromuscular activity in patients with ischemic stroke.
methodsThis randomized controlled clinical trial employed a pre–post study design and was conducted in a hospital-based physiotherapy and rehabilitation clinic. A total of 40 patients with ischemic stroke, aged 18–65 years, were randomly assigned to either a robotic rehabilitation group (RRG) or a combined vagus nerve stimulation and robotic rehabilitation group (VRRG). Spasticity, walking speed, motor function, quality of life, muscle activity, and pain were assessed at baseline and after six weeks of treatment.
resultsPrimary outcome measures were walking speed, motor function assessed by the Fugl–Meyer Assessment, and pain intensity. Secondary outcomes included electrophysiological measurements (H-reflex and F-wave parameters) and quality of life. Within-group analyses showed significant improvements in all outcomes in the VRRG (p < 0.05), whereas all outcomes except pain improved significantly in the RRG (p < 0.05). Between-group comparisons demonstrated greater improvements in walking speed in the VRRG compared with the RRG (mean difference − 1.84 s, 95% CI − 3.7 to − 0.7; r = 0.43; p = 0.006) and greater pain reduction in the VRRG (mean difference − 1.55, 95% CI − 2.5 to − 0.1; r = 0.30; p = 0.048). In contrast, a greater reduction in the Hmax/Mmax amplitude ratio—an electrophysiological marker of spinal excitability—was observed in the RRG.
conclusionThe findings suggest that transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation combined with robotic rehabilitation may provide additional benefits in terms of walking speed and pain reduction in patients with ischemic stroke.
trial registrationThe study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on April 19, 2024. (Identifier: NCT06381089).
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