Meta-analysis of taVNS for stroke motor function shows significant improvement

This is a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials examining transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) for patients experiencing stroke. The scope included motor function, mental health, and activities of daily living (ADL) as secondary outcomes. The main synthesized finding was that the taVNS group demonstrated significantly increased motor function scores compared with the control group, with a pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) of 1.21 (95% CI: 0.88–1.55).

The analysis included 512 patients across the included trials. The authors note that this meta-analysis reports associations but cannot establish causation. Specific certainty assessments, such as GRADE, are not reported.

Limitations noted by the authors include the lack of reported follow-up duration, adverse event data, and practice relevance. The evidence is based on a synthesis of randomized trials, but the certainty of the evidence is not formally assessed. Clinicians should interpret these findings as preliminary and not infer causation or extrapolate to non-stroke populations.