The following is a summary of “Transcutaneous Auricular Vagal Nerve Stimulation Is Effective for the Treatment of Functional Dyspepsia: A Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Study,” published in the March 2024 issue of Gastroenterology by Shi, et al. 

For a study, researchers sought to investigate the effectiveness of transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS) in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD).

Consecutive patients diagnosed with FD based on Rome IV criteria and with a modified FD Symptom Diary score of at least 10 were enrolled. They were randomly assigned to receive either 10-Hz taVNS (V10 group), 25-Hz taVNS (V25 group), or sham treatment. The treatment was administered twice daily for 30 minutes over a period of 4 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the response rate at week 4, defined as the proportion of patients achieving a reduction of at least 5 points in the modified FD Symptom Diary score compared to baseline. Secondary outcomes included adequate relief rate and incidence of adverse events.

Three hundred patients were randomized into the V10 (n = 101), V25 (n = 99), and sham (n = 100) groups. After 4 weeks of treatment, both the V10 and V25 groups showed higher response rates (81.2% vs. 75.9% vs. 47%, both P < 0.001) and adequate relief rates (85.1% vs. 80.8% vs. 67%, both P < 0.05) compared to the sham group. There was no significant difference in response and adequate relief rates between the V10 and V25 groups (P > 0.05). The efficacy of taVNS (10 and 25 Hz) was sustained at weeks 8 and 12 during the follow-up period. Adverse events were mild and similar among the three groups (1%–3%).

The study demonstrated the efficacy and safety of 4-week taVNS at 10 Hz or 25 Hz for treating FD in adult patients.

Reference: journals.lww.com/ajg/abstract/2024/03000/transcutaneous_auricular_vagal_nerve_stimulation.25.aspx