ArticleJournal of inflammation research2026
Effects of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on Peripheral Inflammatory Factors in Patients with Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia: A 2×2 Factorial Design Protocol.
Article in Journal of inflammation research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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12 authors.
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Abstract
Background: Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia (NSS) are the primary contributors to poor prognosis in schizophrenia (SCZ), and immune-inflammatory mechanisms play a pivotal role in their pathogenesis. As non-invasive neuromodulation techniques, transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) have been demonstrated to modulate peripheral inflammation levels in patients with SCZ. Purpose: This study aims to investigate the independent and synergistic effects of taVNS and TEAS on modulating peripheral inflammatory factors and ameliorating negative symptoms in patients with NSS. Patients and Methods: This study employs a single-blind, randomized, sham-controlled, 2×2 factorial design. A total of 108 participants will be randomly allocated in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to four groups: taVNS plus TEAS, active taVNS plus TEAS, sham taVNS plus TEAS, and sham taVNS plus sham TEAS. The interventions will be administered for 30 minutes per session on alternate days for 4 weeks, followed by a 4-week follow-up period. The primary outcome is the change from baseline in peripheral inflammatory cytokine levels at weeks 4 and 8. Results: Recruitment is ongoing. Conclusion: The study protocol aims to investigate the pre- and post-treatment changes in peripheral inflammatory cytokines among patients with NSS, with a specific focus on the correlation between symptom severity and alterations in inflammatory levels, thereby providing a biological rationale to guide clinical treatment.
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