ReviewFrontiers in neurology2026
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS): a comprehensive review of mechanisms, clinical applications, and future directions.
Review in Frontiers in neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Purpose: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation, TaVNS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that has garnered significant attention. This article aims to summarize its mechanisms of action, clinical applications, and future challenges. Methods: A non-systematic literature seach was performed in PubMed for articles published. Studies investigating taVNS, gastrointestinal function, anesthesia, depression, epilepsy, migraine, and post-stroke rehabilitation were identified. A total of 72 articles were included in this review after full-text assessment. This work is a narrative review rather than a systematic review. No pre-registered search strategy, formal eligibility criteria, or risk-of-bias assessment was performed. Literature was collected via targeted non-systematic retrieval focusing on preclinical and clinical advances of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation. Relevant original articles and reviews were selectively included to summarize current evidence, mechanisms, safety status and future perspectives of taVNS. Results: The analysis revealed that taVNS delivers stimulation to the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, transmitting signals to the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). Subsequently, these signals modulate emotional and cognitive processes via ascending pathways and regulate autonomic nervous system function through descending pathways. A key mechanism involves the activation of the "cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway," which suppresses systemic inflammation. Evidence suggested that taVNS holds potential therapeutic value for a variety of conditions, including depression, epilepsy, migraine, and post-stroke rehabilitation. Conclusions: This review demeonstrates that future research should focus on parameter optimization, mechanistic exploration, and the development of personalized treatment protocols to facilitate its clinical translation.
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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.