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Article . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Article . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Auricular versus Cervical Vagus Nerve Stimulation: A Narrative Perspective on Safety, Mechanisms, and Clinical Applicability

Authors: Weronika Górska MSc (Eng); Dr Mikołaj Raszek, PhD;

Auricular versus Cervical Vagus Nerve Stimulation: A Narrative Perspective on Safety, Mechanisms, and Clinical Applicability

Abstract

Abstract The field of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is rapidly evolving, with expanding evidence for therapeutic benefits across a wide spectrum of conditions and rising demand for safer, non-invasive alternatives. While cervical VNS has established clinical credibility, its surgical invasiveness and risk of off-target effects limit broader adoption. In contrast, transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), which targets the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, provides a non-invasive, anatomically precise, and well-tolerated approach. This review synthesises current knowledge on taVNS mechanisms, safety, clinical feasibility, and future directions, with emphasis on device-specific outcomes. Evidence consistently shows that taVNS is not associated with serious adverse events, even in high-risk populations such as patients with heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and post-viral dysautonomia. Meta-analytic safety data and mechanistic studies support its fibre selectivity and broad applicability, highlighting key distinctions from both implanted and transcutaneous cervical VNS. As healthcare moves towards decentralised and patient-led care models, taVNS emerges as a promising cornerstone of bioelectronic medicine. Its favourable safety profile, at-home usability, and expanding clinical evidence base position auricular neuromodulation not merely as a safer alternative, but as a scalable and patient-centred innovation shaping the next generation of personalised therapeutics.

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citations
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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