Transauricular vagus nerve stimulation for patients with disorders of consciousness: A randomized controlled clinical trial.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Disorders of consciousness (DoCs) are a frequent complication of brain injury disease, and effective treatments are currently lacking. Transauricular vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) has been proposed as a promising therapeutic method for neurological disorders such as epilepsy and depression. In our previous study, we demonstrated that vagus nerve stimulation promoted recovery in rats with DoCs caused by traumatic brain injury. However, the clinical effect of vagus nerve stimulation on consciousness disorders is unclear. We aimed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of tVNS in patients with DoCs.

Methods

We conducted a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled trial. Patients (N = 60) with DoCs, including minimally conscious state (MCS) and vegeta

SUBMITTER: Zhou YF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10017768 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature