Transcutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation for Gastrointestinal Disorders

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Neurology
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Imbalanced autonomic function is common in gastrointestinal (GI) disorders.
• The vagus nerve significantly regulates upper GI motility.
• Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) can improve GI symptoms by boosting parasympathetic activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the clinical efficacy of transcutaneous VNS for GI disorders.
• To focus on abdominal pain, GI symptoms, and GI motility.
• To discuss the mechanisms of action of transcutaneous VNS.

Main Methods:

• Review of randomized clinical trials on transcutaneous VNS for functional dyspepsia, gastroparesis, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease.
• Inclusion of transcutaneous auricular VNS, transcutaneous cervical VNS, and percutaneous electrical nerve field stimulation.
• Discussion of VNS mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Transcutaneous VNS demonstrated efficacy in relieving abdominal pain across various GI disorders.
• Improvements in general GI symptoms and acceleration of GI motility were observed.
• Enhanced vagal activity is the proposed mechanism.

Conclusions:

• Transcutaneous VNS is an innovative, effective, and safe therapeutic option for GI disorders.
• It shows promise in managing abdominal pain, GI symptoms, and motility issues.
• Large-scale clinical trials are essential to establish optimal treatment protocols and confirm efficacy.