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Srinivasan V, Ruthuvalan V, Raja S, Jayaraj V, Sridhar S, Kothandaraman M, Suganthirababu P, Abathsagayam K, Vishnuram S, Alagesan J, Vasanthi RK. Efficacy of Vagal nerve stimulation on anxiety among elderly retired teachers during COVID-19 pandemic. Work 2024:WOR230356. [PMID: 38489208 DOI: 10.3233/wor-230356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Excessive fear, worry and behavioral disturbances define anxiety, with particular significance attributed to vagal nerve, a crucial transmitter of information to the brain regions governing anxiety. Highlighting the importance of vagal nerve, transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (TaVNS) emerges as a tolerable and safe technique. The success of non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation in alleviating anxiety underscores the pivotal role of the vagal nerve. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions in mitigating anxiety among retired teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the relevance of targeting the vagal nerve for improved mental well-being. METHODS 60 retired teachers diagnosed with anxiety were chosen through random allocation. Participants were divided into two groups: Group A (Experimental group) received transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (TaVNS), and Group B (Control group) underwent the Jacobson relaxation technique. Intervention period spanned 4 weeks, with four sessions per week, lasting 30 minutes. The outcome measures included Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire and salivary cortisol levels. RESULTS Following the 4-week intervention, both groups exhibited a significant reduction in Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scores and salivary cortisol levels (P < 0.001). Notably, Group A demonstrated a significantly higher effectiveness rate compared to Group B. CONCLUSION The study concludes that transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (TaVNS) is effective in reducing anxiety among retired teachers. Transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (TaVNS) proves to be a powerful and effective intervention in alleviating anxiety among retired teachers, emphasizing its potential significance in enhancing mental well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vignesh Srinivasan
- Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Varalakshmi Ruthuvalan
- Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Sakthi Raja
- Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Vanitha Jayaraj
- Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Swathi Sridhar
- Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Muthulakshmi Kothandaraman
- Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Prathap Suganthirababu
- Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Kumaresan Abathsagayam
- Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Surya Vishnuram
- Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Jagatheesan Alagesan
- Saveetha College of Physiotherapy, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
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Gerges ANH, Williams EER, Hillier S, Uy J, Hamilton T, Chamberlain S, Hordacre B. Clinical application of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation: a scoping review. Disabil Rehabil 2024:1-31. [PMID: 38362860 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2024.2313123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is an emerging non-invasive neuromodulation therapy. This study aimed to explore the therapeutic use of taVNS, optimal stimulation parameters, effective sham protocols, and safety. METHODS A scoping review was conducted. Five databases and grey literature were searched. The data extracted included stimulation parameters, adverse events (AEs), and therapeutic effects on clinical outcomes. RESULTS 109 studies were included. taVNS was used across 21 different clinical populations, most commonly in psychiatric, cardiac, and neurological disorders. Overall, 2,214 adults received active taVNS and 1,017 received sham taVNS. Reporting of stimulation parameters was limited and inconsistent. taVNS appeared to have a favourable therapeutic effect across a wide range of clinical populations with varied parameters. Three sham protocols were reported but their effectiveness was documented in only two of the 54 sham-controlled studies. Most reported adverse events were localised to stimulation site. CONCLUSION There is growing evidence for taVNS therapeutic effect. taVNS appears safe and tolerable. Sham protocols need evaluation. Standardised and comprehensive reporting of both stimulation parameters and adverse events is required. Two different questionnaires have been proposed to evaluate adverse events and the effectiveness of sham methods in blinding participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashraf N H Gerges
- Innovation, Implementation and Clinical Translation (IIMPACT) in Health, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Ellen E R Williams
- School of Biomedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, Australia
| | - Susan Hillier
- Innovation, Implementation and Clinical Translation (IIMPACT) in Health, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Jeric Uy
- Innovation, Implementation and Clinical Translation (IIMPACT) in Health, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Taya Hamilton
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, Australia
- Fourier Intelligence International Pte Ltd., Global Headquarters, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Saran Chamberlain
- Innovation, Implementation and Clinical Translation (IIMPACT) in Health, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Brenton Hordacre
- Innovation, Implementation and Clinical Translation (IIMPACT) in Health, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
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Ma Y, Wang Z, He J, Sun J, Guo C, Du Z, Chen L, Luo Y, Gao D, Hong Y, Zhang L, Liu Y, Fang J. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve immediate stimulation treatment for treatment-resistant depression: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Front Neurol 2022; 13:931838. [PMID: 36119681 PMCID: PMC9477011 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.931838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is effective for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). In the current study, we observed the immediate modulating brain effect of taVNS in patients with TRD using rest-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Method Forty patients with TRD and forty healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Rs-fMRI was performed before and after 30 min of taVNS at baseline. The brain regions that presented significantly different the Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) between the TRD patients and HCs were selected as the ROI to calculate the functional connectivity (FC) of full brain. The correlations were estimated between the clinical scales' score and the functional brain changes. Results Following taVNS stimulation treatment, TRD patients showed significantly reduced ReHo in the medial orbital frontal cortex (mOFC) (F = 18.06, P < 0.0001), ANCOVA of the mOFC-Based FC images revealed a significant interaction effect on the left inferior parietal gyrus (IPG) and left superior marginal gyrus (SMG) (F = 11.6615, P<0.001,F = 16.7520, P<0.0001). Among these regions, the HAMD and HAMA scores and ReHo/FC changes were not correlated. Conclusion This study applied rs-fMRI technology to examine the effect of taVNS stimulation treatment on the brain activity of TRD. These results suggest that the brain response of TRD patients to taVNS treatment may be associated with the functional modulation of cortical regions including the medial orbital frontal cortex, the left inferior parietal gyrus, and the left superior marginal regions. Changes in these neuroimaging indices may represent the neural mechanisms underlying taVNS Immediate Stimulation treatment in TRD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Ma
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi Wang
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiakai He
- Graduate School of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jifei Sun
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chunlei Guo
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhongming Du
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Limei Chen
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Luo
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Deqiang Gao
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Hong
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Liu
- Affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Yong Liu
| | - Jiliang Fang
- Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Jiliang Fang
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