Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39754453›Full record

Trial reportTherapeutic apheresis and dialysis : official peer-reviewed journal of the International Society for Apheresis, the Japanese Society for Apheresis, the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy2026

Effect of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in hemodialysis patients: A randomized controlled trial.

Qiuling Zhang, Jun Dou, Hua Ao, Dongmei Guo, Xi Yang, Ming Li

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Therapeutic apheresis and dialysis : official peer-reviewed journal of the International Society for Apheresis, the Japanese Society for Apheresis, the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Effect of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in hemodialysis patients: A randomized controlled trial.Therapeutic apheresis and dialysis : official peer-reviewed journal of the International Society for Apheresis, the Japanese Society for Apheresis, the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy · 2026
    Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Qiuling ZhangDepartment of Nephrology, The Third Clinical Medical College of China Three Gorges University, Sinopharm Gezhouba Central Hospital, Yichang, China.
Jun DouDepartment of Nephrology, The Third Clinical Medical College of China Three Gorges University, Sinopharm Gezhouba Central Hospital, Yichang, China.
Hua AoDepartment of Nephrology, The Third Clinical Medical College of China Three Gorges University, Sinopharm Gezhouba Central Hospital, Yichang, China.
Dongmei GuoDepartment of Nephrology, The Third Clinical Medical College of China Three Gorges University, Sinopharm Gezhouba Central Hospital, Yichang, China.
Xi YangDepartment of Nephrology, The Third Clinical Medical College of China Three Gorges University, Sinopharm Gezhouba Central Hospital, Yichang, China.
Ming LiDepartment of Nephrology, The Third Clinical Medical College of China Three Gorges University, Sinopharm Gezhouba Central Hospital, Yichang, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1994-8592

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 81801068
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionTranscutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) has shown potential in neurological, autoimmune, and cardiovascular disorders, but its effects on HD patients remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tVNS in HD patients.

methodsWe conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial on patients receiving HD ≥6 months. The tVNS group received stimulation for 1 h during the first 2 h of HD sessions, three times weekly for 8 weeks, while the control group received standard care. The primary outcomes were dialysis efficiency (Single-pool Kt/V, Sp Kt/V) and dialysis-related symptoms (Dialysis Symptom Index, DSI), assessed every 4 weeks. Secondary outcomes included pain and fatigue scores, physical performance, Hemodialysis Comfort Scale, hemoglobin levels, Mini-Mental State Examination, and anxiety and depression scores, measured at baseline and 8 weeks after intervention.

resultsA total of 63 patients were enrolled in the study, with 32 patients assigned to the tVNS group and 31 patients to the control group. At 8 weeks, the tVNS group showed significant improvements in Sp Kt/V (1.31 ± 0.11 vs. 1.25 ± 0.10, p = 0.02), and DSI (12.09 ± 5.84 vs. 16.26 ± 5.27, p = 0.004), as well as reductions in pain and fatigue, and increases in physical function, comfort, and hemoglobin. However, there were no statistically significant changes observed in cognitive function, anxiety, or depression.

conclusionstVNS could improve dialysis efficiency, symptoms, and physical function in HD patients, indicating it may have a role as a complementary therapy.

Indexed as

Kidney Failure, ChronicRenal DialysisTranscutaneous Electric Nerve StimulationVagus Nerve StimulationAgedFatigueFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPainTreatment Outcomecomplementary therapyhemodialysishemodialysis efficiencysymptomstranscutaneous vagus nerve stimulation

Identifiers

PMID39754453
PMCPMC13540552

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.