Non-invasive neuromodulation for alleviating dyspnoea: protocol for a feasibility sham-controlled randomised trial.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Dyspnoea affects 10% of the general population, and 12% of hospitalised patients report experiencing dyspnoea at rest. It is a common and distressing symptom experienced by people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Neuromodulation, which uses electrical stimulation to modulate neural pathways, is a validated clinical procedure offering a potential therapeutic approach. We speculate that non-invasive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) and trigeminal transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) could improve dyspnoea management by targeting relevant neural circuits.

Methods and analysis

We will conduct a feasibility cross-over trial in people with severe COPD and significant exertional dyspnoea referred for pulmonary rehabilit

SUBMITTER: St-Pierre J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12306373 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature