Transcutaneous Cervical Vagus Nerve Stimulation Improves Speech Comprehension in Noise: A Crossover, Placebo-Controlled Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Speech comprehension in noisy environments remains a significant challenge, even among individuals with clinically normal hearing and users of hearing aids and cochlear implants. Although conventional assistive hearing devices address limitations in the auditory periphery, they do not directly enhance the brain's capacity to segregate speech from background noise. Because tonic vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has shown potential for rapidly improving central sensory processing, this study investigated whether tonic transcutaneous cervical VNS (tcVNS) can enhance speech-in-noise intelligibility.

Materials and methods

Two cohorts of older human adults (aged 60-84 years) participated in a placebo-controlled, crossover study. Participants completed speech-in-noise asses

SUBMITTER: Jigo M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12269552 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature