Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) aims to modulate vagal activity. Our lab is leading in the development of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) for children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders.

We have led international efforts to formulate Recommendations for Minimum Reporting Standards in Research on Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation. We are working towards standardized clinical protocols in the treatment of pediatric patients. Further, we are interested in the validation of different biomarkers of taVNS, including heart rate variability, salivary alpha amylase, or cortex oxygenation. 

We are part of the European Research Network on tVNS, funded by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) via the Scientific Research Networks Grant. 

Selected Empirical Paper:

• Koenig J, Parzer P, Haigis N, Liebemann J, Jung T, Resch F, Kaess M. Effects of Acute Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Emotion Recognition in Adolescent Depression. Psychological Medicine, 2021: 51(3):511-520; DOI: 10.1017/S0033291719003490; 5.641 Impact Factor [PubMed]
• Höper S, Kaess M, Koenig J. Prefrontal Cortex Oxygenation and Autonomic Nervous System Activity under Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Adolescents. Autonomic Neuroscience, 2022 ;241:103008, 2.355 Impact Factor; DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2022.103008  [PubMed]

Systematic Reviews/Meta-Analysis:

• Sigrist C, Torki B, Bolz L, Jeglorz T, Bolz A, Koenig J. Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Pediatric Patients – A Systematic Review of Clinical Treatment Protocols and Stimulation Parameters. Neuromodulation, in press, 4.722 Impact Factor; DOI: 10.1016/j.neurom.2022.07.007 [PubMed]
• Wolf V, Kühnel A, Teckentruo V, Koenig J, Kroemer NB. Does non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation affect heart rate variability? A living and interactive Bayesian meta-analysis. Psychophysiology, 2021;58(11):e13933, 3.378 Impact Factor [PubMed]
• Giraudier M, VenturaBort, C, Burger AM, Claes N, D’Agostini M, Fischer R, Franssen M, Kaess M, Koenig J, Liepelt R, Nieuwenhuis S, Sommer A, Usischenko T, Van Diest I, von Leupoldt A, Warren C, Weymar M. Evidence for a modulating effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on salivary alpha-amylase as indirect noradrenergic marker: a pooled mega-analysis. Brain Stimulation, 2022; 15(6):1378-1388, 9.184 Impact Factor; DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2022.09.009 [PubMed]
• tVNS Consensus Group - Farmer AD, Strzelczyk A, Finisguerra A, Gourine AV, Gharabaghi A, Hasan A, Burger A, Jaramillo AM, Mertens A, Majid A, Verkuil B, Badran BW, Ventura-Bort C, Gaul C, Beste C, Warren CM, Quintana D, Hämmerer D, Freri E, Frangos E, Tobaldini E, Kaniusas E, Rosenow F, Capone F, Panetsos F, Ackland G, Kaithwas G, O’Leary GH, Genheimer H, Jacobs H, Van Diest I, Schoenen J, Redgrave J, Fang J, Deuchars J, Széles JC, Thayer JF, More K, Vonck K, Steenbergen L, Vianna L, McTeague LM, Ludwig M, Veldhuizen MG, De Couck M, Casazza M, Keute M, Bikson M, Andreatta M, D’Agostini M, Weymar M, Betts M, Prigge M, Kaess M, Roden M, Thai M, Schuster NM, Montano N, Hansen N, Kroemer NB, Rong P, Fischer R, Howland RH, Sclocco R, Sellaro R, Garcia RG, Bauer S, Gancheva S, Stavrakis S, Kampusch S, Deuchars SA, Wehner S, Laborde S, Usichenko T, Polak T, Zähle T, Borges U, Teckentrup V, Jandackova VK, Napadow V, Koenig J. International Consensus Based Recommendations for Minimum Reporting Standards in Research on Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Version 2020). Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Brain Imaging and Stimulation, 2021; 14:568051; DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.568051; 2.673 Impact Factor [PubMed]