Why the study?
Irritable bowel syndrome is a frequent disease associating chronic abdominal pain and abnormal bowel habits, and the sympatho-vagal balance may be altered in affected patients.
Does transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) improve symptoms in women with irritable bowel syndrome?
Does transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) improve symptoms in women with irritable bowel syndrome?
In a small pilot study, transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation was feasible and associated with improved symptoms in women with IBS, warranting further investigation in randomized trials.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Symptom relief without physiological changes in this small pilot is hypothesis-generating; randomized trials needed before any clinical consideration.
Aim: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a frequent disease, associating chronic abdominal pain and abnormal bowel habits. The sympatho-vagal balance may be altered in IBS. We tested the effect of transcutaneous auricular stimulation of the left vagus nerve (taVNS) on symptoms and physiological and biological variables. Patients & methods: Twelve IBS women agreed to apply taVNS for 6 months. Evaluation was based on feasibility, symptoms, psychological questionnaires, fecal caprotectin, blood cytokines and bowel transit times. Results: Nine patients completed the trial: there was a significant improvement of symptoms at 3 and 6 months although none of the measured variables were modified by taVNS. Conclusion: The results suggest taVNS is feasible and may improve IBS symptoms. Randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02420158.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Mion et al. (2020) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: