Transkutanöz Auricular Vagus Sinir Stimülasyonun Klinik Kullanımı

Year 2025, Issue: 12, 54 - 61, 07.08.2025

Özge Ökcü , Seda Saka

https://doi.org/10.58252/artukluhealth.1676099

Abstract

Giriş: Transkutanöz auricular vagus sinir stimülasyonu, invaziv olmayan bir nöromodülasyon yöntemi olarak birçok klinik endikasyonda terapötik potansiyeli ile dikkat çekmektedir. Bu derleme, transkutanöz auricular vagus sinir stimülasyonunun fizyoterapi ile ilişkili alanlarda kullanıldığı hastalıklar, uygulama biçimleri ve etkinlik düzeylerini değerlendirmek amacıyla yapılmıştır.
Yöntem: Bu çalışma, 2010–2024 yılları arasında yayımlanmış İngilizce literatürün incelendiği bir narrative derlemedir. PubMed, Scopus ve Web of Science veri tabanlarında “transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation”, “taVNS”, “neuromodulation” ve ilgili anahtar kelimeler kullanılarak yapılan tarama sonucunda, insanlarda transkutanöz auricular vagus sinir stimülasyonu uygulamasının etkilerini değerlendiren klinik ve deneysel çalışmalar dahil edilmiştir.
Bulgular: Derleme kapsamında transkutanöz auricular vagus sinir stimülasyonunun epilepsi, depresyon, migren, kronik ağrı, inme, parkinson hastalığı, alzheimer hastalığı, inflamatuar bağırsak hastalıkları ve uyku bozuklukları gibi birçok klinik durumda olumlu etkiler gösterdiği tespit edilmiştir. En güçlü kanıtlar epilepsi, depresyon ve inme sonrası rehabilitasyon alanlarındadır. Buna karşın uyku, bilişsel performans ve kronik ağrı gibi bazı alanlarda bulgular hâlen tutarsız ve yöntemsel çeşitlilikten etkilenmektedir. Uygulama protokollerinde, stimülasyon süresi, frekans ve elektrot yerleşimi gibi değişkenler sonuçları etkilemektedir.
Sonuç: Transkutanöz auricular vagus sinir stimülasyonu, fizyoterapi alanında destekleyici bir müdahale aracı olarak değerlendirilebilir. Ancak uygulama protokollerinin standardize edilmesi ve endikasyon bazlı yüksek kaliteli çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır. Bu yöntem, fizyoterapide tamamlayıcı bir yaklaşım olarak önemli potansiyele sahiptir.

Keywords

Vagus Siniri , Vagus Sinir Stimülasyonu , Parasempatik Sinir Sistemi

Ethical Statement

Bu araştırma bir derleme olduğundan etik kurul izni gerekmemektedir. Bu çalışmanın hazırlanma sürecinde bilimsel ve etik ilkelere uyulduğu ve yararlanılan tüm çalışmaların kaynakçada belirtildiği beyan olunur. Bu çalışmanın hazırlanma sürecinde yapay zeka tabanlı herhangi bir araç veya uygulama kullanılmamıştır. Çalışmanın tüm içeriği, yazar(lar) tarafından bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri ve akademik etik ilkelere uygun şekilde üretilmiştir.

Supporting Institution

Bu çalışma için herhangi bir bütçe desteği yoktur.

Clinical Use of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Abstract

Introduction: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation has attracted attention as a non-invasive neuromodulation technique with therapeutic potential across various clinical indications. This review aims to evaluate the clinical conditions in which transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation is used, its methods of application, and levels of effectiveness in fields related to physiotherapy.
Methods: This study is a narrative review of English-language literature published between 2010 and 2024. A comprehensive search was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases using keywords such as “transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation,” “taVNS,” and “neuromodulation.” Clinical and experimental studies investigating the effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in human populations were included.
Results: The review found that transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation has shown beneficial effects in various clinical conditions, including epilepsy, depression, migraine, chronic pain, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, and sleep disorders. The strongest evidence is observed in epilepsy, depression, and post-stroke rehabilitation. In contrast, findings remain inconsistent in domains such as sleep, cognitive performance, and chronic pain, often due to methodological variability. Stimulation parameters such as session duration, frequency, and electrode placement significantly influence outcomes.
Conclusion: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation may be considered a supportive intervention in physiotherapy. However, the development of standardized protocols and high-quality, condition-specific studies is essential. This technique holds substantial potential as a complementary approach within physiotherapeutic practice.

Keywords

Vagus Nerve , Vagus Nerve Stimulation , Parasympathetic Nervous System

Ethical Statement

Since this research is a review, ethical committee approval is not required. It is declared that scientific and ethical principles were complied with during the preparation of this study and all the studies used in this study were cited in the bibliography. No artificial intelligence-based tools or applications were utilized in the preparation of this manuscript. All content was generated solely by the author(s) in adherence to scientific research methodologies and academic ethical standards.

Supporting Institution

No external funding was used to support this research.

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