BMC Psychiatry· 2026Q1
Comparative effectiveness of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation and escitalopram for depressive symptoms in major depressive disorder
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) demonstrated greater improvements in sleep quality, cognitive function, anhedonia, and autonomic regulation compared to escitalopram in major depressive disorder (MDD) patients, although both treatments showed similar efficacy for core depressive symptoms.
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Key points
- taVNS led to greater improvements in sleep quality, cognitive function, anhedonia, and autonomic regulation compared to escitalopram in MDD patients.
- No significant difference was found between taVNS and escitalopram for core depressive symptoms (MADRS, HAMD-17).
- taVNS showed a better safety profile, with mainly mild local skin reactions, versus systemic side effects like nausea and somnolence with escitalopram.
- The study included 120 patients per group after propensity score matching, assessing outcomes at baseline and week 8.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent psychiatric illness with substantial treatment challenges. This study compared the effectiveness of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) and escitalopram in patients with severe MDD. This retrospective cohort study enrolled patients treated at our hospital between September 2021 and September 2025. Patients were allocated to either the escitalopram group or the taVNS group. Outcome assessments were performed at baseline and week 8, covering depressive symptoms (MADRS and HAMD-17), anxiety (HAMA), sleep quality (PSQI), cognitive function (MoCA), anhedonia (SHAPS), and heart rate variability indices (SDNN, RMSSD, and LF/HF ratio). Adverse events were documented throughout treatment. After propensity score matching was conducted, 120 patients were included in each group. Compared with escitalopram, taVNS produced greater improvements in sleep quality (PSQI P < 0.001), cognitive function (MoCA P = 0.024), anhedonia (SHAPS P = 0.040), and autonomic regulation (SDNN P = 0.006; RMSSD P = 0.016; LF/HF P < 0.001). Safety profiles differed: escitalopram caused more nausea, somnolence, and dry mouth, whereas taVNS mainly produced mild local skin reactions. No statistically significant between-group difference was observed between taVNS and escitalopram for core depressive symptoms. It offers additional benefits in sleep, cognition, anhedonia, and autonomic function, with a more favorable systemic safety profile.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. BMC Psychiatry, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Neurology (Neuroscience)
NeurologyNeuroscience