TAES for FPVCs: a Pragmatic, Randomized Controlled Trial

Efficacy and Safety of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Frequent Premature Ventricular Complexes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This prospective, randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (TAVNS) for patients with frequent premature ventricular coomplexes (FPVCs). Ninety participants will be randomized to TAVNS group and sham-TAVNS group with the ratio of 1:1. They will receive TAVNS plus usual care or sham-TAVNS plus usual care for 6 weeks, and then be followed up for 12 weeks after the treatment. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants with a 50% decrease of the 24 hour (24h) premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) after 6-week treatment. Secondary outcomes include the proportion of participants with a 75% decrease of the 24h-PVCs; the decrease from baseline of 24h-PVCs, total 24h-heartbeat, and the frequency of supraventricular arrhythmia; the score change from baseline in PVCs-related symptoms; the score change from baseline in SAS and SDS. Subgroup analyses will be performed in age, gender, and the severity of PVCs. Safety assessment will be documented during the whole trial.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Premature Ventricular Complexes
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (TAVNS); Device: Sham Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Sham-TAVNS)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 90
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Jiani Wu; Phone Number: +8613426116653; Email: jiani_wu@aliyun.com

Study Locations

• China
  • Beijing
    • Beijing, Beijing, China, 100053
      • Recruiting
      • Guang'anmen Hospita, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences
      • Contact: Jiani Wu; Phone Number: +8613426116653

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosed as frequent premature ventricular contractions;
• 2 ≤ Lown level ≤ 4A;
• 18 ≤ age ≤ 75;
• Volunteered to participant

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe valvular disease, congenital heart disease, pericardial disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, unstable angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, myocarditis, aneurysm, congestive heart failure decompensation period (NYHA grade III or VI), cardiogenic shock, cerebrovascular disease, hematopoietic system disease, severe mental disease;
• Bradycardia, including pathologic sinus node syndrome, degree II or greater atrioventricular block;
• Those who have already had pacemaker or percutaneous coronary intervention, or who plan to have pacemaker or percutaneous coronary intervention;
• Pregnant or lactating women;
• Local sensory deficit, or allergic to current;
• May be allergic to percutaneous patches；
• Blood pressure ≤ 90/60 mmHg;
• Those who have participated in other clinical trials within 3 months.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: TAVNS plus usual care; TAVNS on Erzhong and Xin (Auricular Acupuncture Point with Vagus nerve distribution); Usual Care: usual medicine treatment for PVCs.	Device: Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (TAVNS); Patients in TAVNS group will receive TAVNS and usual care. TAVNS will be performed on Erzhong and Xin (Auricular Acupuncture Point with vagus nerve distribution) for 6 weeks by using the Huato type SDZ-V stimulator; Usual Care: usual medicine treatment for PVCs.
Placebo Comparator: Sham-TAVNS plus usual care; Sham-TAVNS on Erzhong and Xin (Auricular Acupuncture Point); the same acupoints as the treatment group without any current. Usual Care: usual medicine treatment for PVCs.	Device: Sham Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Sham-TAVNS); Patients in sham-TAVNS group will receive sham-TAVNS and usual care. Sham-TAVNS will be also performed on Erzhong and Xin (Auricular Acupuncture Point with vegas nerve stimulation) for 6 weeks by using a special Huato type SDZ-V stimulator. We cut the inner electric wire of the stimulator; therefore, there is no current output. Usual Care: usual medicine treatment for PVCs.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
the proportion of participants with a 50% decrease of PVCs from baseline	The PVCs will be assessed by a 24-hour Holter monitoring. The investigators will calculate the decrease of PVCs between baseline and week 6 (at the end of the treatment), then we will obtain the proportion of patients with a 50% decrease.	week 6

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
the proportion of participants with a 50% decrease of PVCs from baseline	The PVCs will be assessed by a 24-hour Holter monitoring. The investigators will calculate the decrease of PVCs between baseline and week 18 (at the end of the follow-up period), then we will obtain the proportion of patients with a 50% decrease.	week 18
the proportion of participants with a 75% decrease of PVCs from baseline	The PVCs will be assessed by a 24-hour Holter monitoring. The investigators will calculate the decrease of PVCs between baseline and week 6/18, then we will obtain the proportion of patients with a 75% decrease.	week 6, week 18
the change from baseline in PVCs	The PVCs will be assessed by a 24-hour Holter monitoring. The investigators will calculate the decrease of PVCs between baseline and week 6/18.	week 6, week 18
the change from baseline in total cardiac impulse	The total cardiac impulse will be assessed by a 24-hour Holter monitoring. The investigators will calculate the change of total cardiac impulse between baseline and week 6/18.	week 6, week 18
the change from baseline in supraventricular premature contractions	The change from baseline in supraventricular premature contractions will be assessed by a 24-hour Holter monitoring. The investigators will calculate the change of supraventricular premature contractions between baseline and week 6/18.	week 6, week 18
the score change from baseline in the symptom of palpitation	The symptom of palpitation will be assessed by a 10-scale VAS from 0 to 10, a higher score indicates a more severe symptom of palpitation. The investigators will calculate the score change of palpitation between baseline and week 6/18.	week 6, week 18.
the score change from baseline in the symptom of chest tightness	The symptom of chest tightness will be assessed by a 10-scale VAS from 0 to 10, a higher score indicates a more severe symptom of chest tightness. The investigators will calculate the score change of chest tightness between baseline and week 6/18.	week 6, week 18.
the score change from baseline in the symptom of dizziness	The symptom of dizziness will be assessed by a 10-scale VAS from 0 to 10, a higher score indicates a more severe symptom of dizziness. The investigators will calculate the score change of dizziness between baseline and week 6/18.	week 6, week 18.
the score change from baseline in the symptom of insomnia	The symptom of insomnia will be assessed by a 10-scale VAS from 0 to 10, a higher score indicates a more severe symptom of insomnia. The investigators will calculate the score change of insomnia between baseline and week 6/18.	week 6, week 18.
the change of the proportion of participants with moderate/severe symptoms of palpitation, chest tightness, dizziness or insomnia from baseline	The symptom of palpitation/chest tightness/dizziness/insomnia will be assessed by a 10-scale VAS from 0 to 10. Score 4-6 are defined as the moderate level, Score 7-10 are defined as the severe level. The investigators will calculate the change of the proportion of patients with the moderate/severe symptoms between baseline and week 6/18.	week 6, week 18.
the score change from baseline in the SAS	Self Anxiety Scale (SAS) contains 20 items scored from 25 to 100. Score 50-59 was classified as mild anxiety; Score 60-69 as moderate anxiety, and score ≥ 70 as severe anxiety.	week 6, week 18.
the score change from baseline in the SDS	Self Depression Scale (SDS) contains 20 items scored from 25 to 100. Score 53-62 was classified as mild depression; Score 63-72 as moderate depression, and score ≥ 73 as severe depression.	week 6, week 18.
the score change from baseline in SF-36	The SF-36 questionnaire contains eight scales with two measures: physical and mental health. The physical health includes four scales of physical functioning (PF), role-physical (RF), bodily pain (BP), and general health (GH). The mental health is composed of vitality (VT), social functioning (SF), role-emotional (RE), and mental health (MH). SF-36 scores from 0 to 100, higher scores indicate better health status.	week 6, week 18.

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
subgroup analysis of ages	Subgroup analysis will be performed in the primary outcome. The investigators will classify the patients with two subgroups by age: ≤40 years and > 40 years.	week 6
subgroup analysis of gender	Subgroup analysis will be performed in the primary outcome. The investigators will classify the patients with two subgroups by gender: male and female.	week 6
subgroup analysis of the severity of PVCs	Subgroup analysis will be performed in the primary outcome. The investigators will classify the patients with three subgroups by the severity of PVCs through Lown: level 2, level 3, and level 4A	week 6
the proportion of participants with adverse events	Safety assessment, The investigators will calculate the adverse events during the whole study.	week 6, week 18

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences
• Collaborators: China Association for Science and Technology
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jiani Wu, Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 4, 2020
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 30, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 30, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): June 4, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 20, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 16, 2025
• Last Verified: July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cardiac Conduction System Disease; Urogenital Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Heart Diseases; Obstetric Labor, Premature; Obstetric Labor Complications; Pregnancy Complications; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Cardiac Complexes, Premature; Premature Birth; Ventricular Premature Complexes
• Other Study ID Numbers: TAESforFPVC

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No