Efficacy of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation as treatment for patients with depression

Guerriero G, Bernhardsson S, Gunnarsson S, Ioannou M, Liljedahl SI, Magnusson K, Steingrimsson S, Svanberg T, Wartenberg C
Record ID 32018011327
English
Authors' objectives: The objective of this Health Technology Assessment (HTA) was to assess whether tVNS is an efficacious treatment for patients with depression compared with sham tVNS, treatment as usual, or no treatment. Mortality, self-harm, depressive symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were considered critical outcomes for decision making. Important outcomes were level of anxiety symptoms, medication use, everyday functioning, complications, and patients’ experiences of treatment.
Authors' results and conclusions: Studies of tVNS used different devices, frequency and duration to treat patients with mild to moderate depression. Based on one RCT and one cohort study, both with major study limitations, and some indirectness and imprecision, it is uncertain whether tVNS compared with sham tVNS, reduces depression and anxiety symptoms in patients with mild to moderate depression (very low certainty of evidence, GRADE ⊕). Mortality, self-harm, HRQoL, medication use, level of functioning and patients’ experience of treatment have not been investigated. Complications noted during tVNS treatment were mild to moderate transient events of tinnitus, diurnal sleepiness, tension headaches, nausea and paresthesia at the stimulation site. No studies comparing tVNS with treatment as usual or no treatment were identified. Further research is needed to understand if there are benefits and risks of tVNS treatment in patients with depression.
Details
Project Status: Completed
Year Published: 2020
URL for published report: https://mellanarkiv-offentlig.vgregion.se/alfresco/s/archive/stream/public/v1/source/available/sofia/su4372-1728378332-391/native/2020_119%20HTA%20rapport%20VNS.pdf
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Full HTA
MeSH Terms
  • Depressive Disorder
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Vagus Nerve Stimulation
  • Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation
  • Vagus Nerve
  • Depression
Contact
Organisation Name: The Regional Health Technology Assessment Centre
Contact Address: The Regional Health Technology Assessment Centre, Region Vastra Gotaland, HTA-centrum, Roda Straket 8, Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset, 413 45 GOTHENBORG, Sweden
Contact Name: hta-centrum@vgregion.se
Contact Email: hta-centrum@vgregion.se
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.