Electroencephalographic characteristics of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation for prolonged disorders of consciousness: a study protocol.
Frontiers in neuroscience January 1, 2025 Haoyang Jiao, Weihang Zhai, Jinling Zhang et al.
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) may help restore consciousness in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (pDOC), but clinical results have been inconsistent. This study will enroll 50 patients with pDOC who will receive a 4-week taVNS treatment. Before and after treatment, each patient will undergo a 30-minute resting electroencephalogram (EEG) and a Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) assessment. After treatment, patients will be followed up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Patients will be classified as responders or non-responders based on whether their CRS-R scores increase. The study aims to identify EEG characteristics—such as differences in brain power spectrum and functional connectivity—that predict which patients are suitable for taVNS, to improve treatment selection.