Transcutaneous Cervical Vagal Nerve Stimulation in Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Pilot Study of Effects on PTSD Symptoms and Interleukin-6 Response to Stress

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: J. Douglas Bremner, Emory University; Matthew T Wittbrodt, Emory University; Nil Z. Gurel, Georgia Institute of Technology; Md Mobashir H. Shandhi, Georgia Institute of Technology; Asim H. Gazi, Georgia Institute of Technology; Yunshen Jiao, Emory University; Oleksiy M. Levantsevych, Emory University; Minxuan Huang, Emory University; Joy Beckwith, Emory University; Isaias Herring, Emory University; Nancy Murrah, Emory University; Emily G Driggers, Emory University; Yi-An Ko, Emory University; Mhmt Jamil L. Alkhalaf, Emory University; Majd Soudan, Emory University; Lucy Shallenberger, Emory University; Allison N. Hankus, Emory University; Jonathon Nye, Emory University; Jeanie Park, Emory University; Anna Woodbury, Emory University; Puja Mehta, Emory University; Mark Rapaport, Emory University; Viola Vaccarino, Emory University; Amit Shah, Emory University; Bradley Pearce, Emory University; Omer T. Inan, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-07-10
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100190
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
• Volume: 6
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Biological Technologies Office (BTO) Targeted Neuroplasticity Training (TNT) program through the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Cooperative Agreement No. N66001-16-4054 and with an Investigator Initiated Grant and device support from ElectroCore LLC, Basking Ridge, N.J., U.S.A. NIH sources of support R01 HL109413 R01 MH120262 UG3 DA048502.; J.D.B has research funding support from ElectroCore LLC. Both active and sham stimulation devices used in this study were provided by ElectroCore free of charge.

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly disabling condition associated with alterations in multiple neurobiological systems, including increases in inflammatory and sympathetic function, responsible for maintenance of symptoms. Treatment options including medications and psychotherapies have limitations. We previously showed that transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tcVNS) blocks inflammatory (interleukin (IL)-6) responses to stress in PTSD. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of tcVNS on PTSD symptoms and inflammatory responses to stress.