Effect of taVNS on Abdominal Pain and Other Symptoms in Constipation-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The Efficacy and Mechanisms of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Abdominal Pain and Other Symptoms in Patients With Constipation-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome

This study aims to investigate the effects and possible mechanisms of transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS) on abdominal pain and other symptoms in patients with IBS-C.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Abdominal Pain; Constipation-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: taVNS; Device: sham-taVNS

Detailed Description

This study is designed as an early-feasibility, single-center, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial (RCT), in which subjects are consented, undergo a baseline assessment, and receive taVNS or sham-taVNS treatment twice a day (8 a.m. and 8 p.m.) for 30 minutes each time for a period of 4 weeks. The taVNS and sham-taVNS treatment was applied using the commercially-available Transcutaneous Electrical Applicator device (Model SNM-FDC01, Ningbo MedKinetic Medical Device Co., Ltd.) with the skin electrodes placed bilaterally on auricular concha. The patients are requested to score the abdominal pain (using VAS) and complete BSFS, IBS-SSS, IBS-QOL, SAS, and SDS forms every week and fill out the bowel diary during taVNS or sham-taVNS. Emergency medications (Macrogol 4000 and pinaverium) are permitted for use when the patient cannot tolerate symptoms of constipation and abdominal pain.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 42
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Shanghai, China, 200120
    • Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. willing to sign a written informed consent form
2. met the Rome IV diagnostic criteria for IBS-C

Exclusion Criteria:

1. history of previous abdominal surgery (other than appendectomy)
2. presence of carcinoma
3. any organic diseases causing constipation or neurologic diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rachischisis, Parkinson's disease, or spinal cord injury
4. taking antidepressant agents including tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
5. serious concomitant disease of the heart, liver, kidney, or diabetes
6. pregnancy or lactation
7. participating in another trial or enrolled in a trial during the past month
8. allergic reaction to surface electrodes

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: taVNS treatment; The taVNS treatment is performed at auricular cymba concha. The stimulation parameters are set as follows: train on-time of 2 seconds and off-time of a 3-second pulse width of 0.5 ms, pulse frequency of 25 Hz, and amplitude of 0-2 milliamp (at the maximum level tolerated by the subject).	Device: taVNS; transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation
Sham Comparator: sham-taVNS treatment; Sham-taVNS is performed with the same parameters as taVNS except that electrical stimulation is applied at the elbow area.	Device: sham-taVNS; transcutaneous stimulation at the elbow area

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in аbdominal pain between sham and active taVNS	Weekly average of daily patient-assessed abdominal pain using the visual analog scale (VAS). VAS ranges from 0 to 10, with 0 indicating no abdominal pain and 10 indicating the maximal pain. Efficacy is evaluated as an improvement of ≥ 30%.	4 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in IBS symptom severity scale (IBS-SSS) between sham and active taVNS	Questionnaire consists of 5 questions (abdominal pain intensity, abdominal pain frequency, abdominal distension degree, defecation satisfaction, and interference with quality of life), with a total score of 500 points and a higher score indicating a worse condition. Scores < 175 represent mild IBS symptoms, scores 175-300 represent moderate severity, and scores > 300 represent severe IBS.	4 weeks
Change in IBS quality of life (IBS-QOL) between sham and active taVNS	Questionnaire is composed of 8 dimensions (dysphoria, interference with activity, body image, health concerns, food avoidance, social reaction, sex, and relationships), with 34 items assessing the degree to which IBS interferes with the patient's quality of life. Each item is evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale. The total score ranges from 34 to 170 and higher scores indicate better quality of life.	4 weeks
Change in Bristol stool form scale (BSFS) between sham and active taVNS	The scale has 7 points according to stool type, from the hardest (1) to the softest (7). The lower the score, the more severe is constipation.	4 weeks
Change in Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) score between sham and active taVNS	SAS questionnaire has 20 items to assess physical and psychological symptoms, using a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (none, or a little of the time) to 4 (most, or all of the time), with a total score ranging from 20 to 80. SAS scores below 50 indicate no anxiety, from 50 to 59 - mild anxiety, from 60 to 69 - moderate anxiety, 70 and above - severe anxiety.	4 weeks
Change in Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) score between sham and active taVNS	SDS questionnaire has 20 items to assess physical and psychological symptoms, using a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (none, or a little of the time) to 4 (most, or all of the time), with a total score ranging from 20 to 80. SDS scores below 50 indicate no depression, from 50 to 59 - mild depression, from 60 to 69 - moderate depression, 70 and above - severe depression.	4 weeks
Change in complete spontaneous bowel movements per week between sham and active taVNS	Number of bowel movements that occur without use of any medication or other methods to assist defecation and with a feeling of complete evacuation	4 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in autonomic function assessed by the spectral parameters of heart rate variability between sham and active stimulation	Heart rate variability parameters are calculated using spectral analysis of R-R intervals in electrocardiogram (ECG)	4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Tongji University
• Collaborators: Shanghai East Hospital

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Shi X, Hu Y, Zhang B, Li W, Chen JD, Liu F. Ameliorating effects and mechanisms of transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation on abdominal pain and constipation. JCI Insight. 2021 Jul 22;6(14). pii: 150052. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.150052.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 1, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 15, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): December 15, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 21, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 24, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): May 26, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 31, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 25, 2022
• Last Verified: May 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Digestive System Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Disease; Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Colonic Diseases, Functional; Colonic Diseases; Intestinal Diseases; Syndrome; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Abdominal Pain; Constipation
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2020-006

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No