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First page or project page of “Transcutaneous cervical vagal nerve stimulation reduces sympathetic responses to stress in posttraumatic stress disorder: A double-blind, randomized, sham controlled trial” (opens in a new tab)

Paperdoi:10.1016/j.ynstr.2020.100264

Transcutaneous cervical vagal nerve stimulation reduces sympathetic responses to stress in posttraumatic stress disorder: A double-blind, randomized, sham controlled trial

Venue listed2020Added Oct 30, 2026

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Authors: Nil Z. Gurel, Matthew T. Wittbrodt, Hewon Jung, Md. Mobashir H. Shandhi, Emily G. Driggers, Stacy L. Ladd, Minxuan Huang, Yi-An Ko, Lucy Shallenberger, Joy Beckwith,

+4 moreJonathon A. Nye, Bradley D. Pearce, … Omer T. Inan, J. Douglas Bremner (Georgia Tech; Emory)

Neurobiology of Stress 13:100264

Publisher (opens in a new tab) Cite
First page or project page of “Transcutaneous cervical vagal nerve stimulation reduces sympathetic responses to stress in posttraumatic stress disorder: A double-blind, randomized, sham controlled trial” (opens in a new tab)

Nil Z. Gurel et al., "Transcutaneous cervical vagal nerve stimulation reduces sympathetic responses to stress in posttraumatic stress disorder: A double-blind, randomized, sham controlled trial", doi:10.1016/j.ynstr.2020.100264, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

TL;DR

In a double-blind sham-controlled trial in 25 people with PTSD, transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation was applied after personalised trauma scripts while finger PPG, palm electrodermal activity, ECG and seismocardiography were recorded. Compared with sham, active stimulation lowered heart rate by 5.7%, raised PPG amplitude by 30.8% (less peripheral vasoconstriction) and lengthened pulse arrival time by 6.3%, indicating a reduced sympathetic response to traumatic stress.

  • Form factor: finger

Abstract

ObjectiveExacerbated autonomic responses to acute stress are prevalent in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of transcutaneous cervical VNS (tcVNS) on autonomic responses to acute stress in patients with PTSD. The authors hypothesized tcVNS would reduce the sympathetic response to stress compared to a sham device.MethodsUsing a randomized double-blind approach, we studied the effects of tcVNS on physiological responses to stress in patients with PTSD (n = 25) using noninvasive sensing modalities. Participants received either sham (n = 12) or active tcVNS (n = 13) after exposure to acute personalized traumatic script stress and mental stress (public speech, mental arithmetic) over a three-day protocol. Physiological parameters related to sympathetic responses to stress were investigated.ResultsRelative to sham, tcVNS paired to traumatic script stress decreased sympathetic function as measured by: decreased heart rate (adjusted β = -5.7%; 95% CI: ±3.6%, effect size d = 0.43, p ConclusiontcVNS attenuates sympathetic arousal associated with stress related to traumatic memories as well as mental stress in patients with PTSD, with effects persisting throughout multiple traumatic stress and stimulation testing days. These findings show that tcVNS has beneficial effects on the underlying neurophysiology of PTSD. Such autonomic metrics may also be evaluated in daily life settings in tandem with tcVNS therapy to provide closed-loop delivery and measure efficacy.ClinicalTrials.gov Registration # NCT02992899.

Verbatim from Europe PMC (opens in a new tab) · Licence: cc by-nc-nd

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Tasks & signals

Tasks

Pulse arrival time

Signals

PPGECGEDASCG

Keywords

Sympathetic ArousalPPG AmplitudePulse Arrival TimePtsdVagus Nerve StimulationRctFinger

How it works

How Method works: Setup → Method → TargetSetup: Signals (PPG, EDA, ECG, SCG); Form factor (finger). Method: Method. Target: Pulse arrival time.SetupSignals: PPG, EDA, ECG, SCGSignalsPPG, EDA, ECG, SCGForm factor: fingerForm factorfingerMethodMethodTargetPulse arrival timePulse arrival time

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Transcutaneous cervical vagal nerve stimulation reduces sympathetic responses to stress in posttraumatic stress disorder: A double-blind, randomized, sham controlled trial. (2020). Neurobiology of Stress, 13, 100264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2020.100264
@article{gureltcvnsptsdpp2020transcutaneous,
  title         = {{Transcutaneous cervical vagal nerve stimulation reduces sympathetic responses to stress in posttraumatic stress disorder: A double-blind, randomized, sham controlled trial}},
  year          = {2020},
  journal       = {Neurobiology of Stress},
  volume        = {13},
  pages         = {100264},
  doi           = {10.1016/j.ynstr.2020.100264}
}

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