Effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in healthy individuals

Background:
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a non-invasive method of delivering gentle electrical stimulation to the auricular branch of the vagus nerve. Due to its superficial anatomical pathway in certain ear regions, the vagus nerve is commonly explored in neuromodulation studies for its potential role in autonomic nervous system regulation.

Methods:
In this exploratory study, 30 healthy adult volunteers participated in a single 20-minute taVNS session. Heart rate variability (HRV) parameters were measured using a 5-minute chest-worn sensor (Polar H7) both before and after stimulation.

Results:
Preliminary findings indicated an increase in RMSSD and HF values—often associated with parasympathetic activity—alongside a decrease in LF/HF ratio following taVNS. These changes were statistically significant (P<0.05). No notable differences were observed between male and female participants in terms of HRV response (P>0.05).

Conclusions:
The results suggest that a single session of taVNS may influence heart rate variability in a direction typically associated with increased parasympathetic activity. Gender did not appear to significantly affect these outcomes. Further studies are encouraged to validate these findings and explore the long-term implications of taVNS on autonomic nervous system balance.

Keywords: Heart rate; Parasympathetic nervous systems; Sympathetic nervous systems; Vagus nerve stimulations.

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