Research Progress on Non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Upper Limb Motor Impairment After Stroke
10.11714/jsysu.med.YX20250166
- VernacularTitle:非侵入性迷走神经刺激治疗脑卒中后上肢运动障碍的研究进展
- Author:
Jiani GU
1
;
Ruiqing LI
2
Author Information
1. Henan University of Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation Medical College， Zhengzhou 450046， China
2. Rehabilitation Center， The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University Of Chinese Medicine， Zhengzhou 450000， China
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
stroke;
vagus nerve stimulation;
non-invasive;
upper limb motor dysfunction;
rehabilitation
- From:
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences)
2026;47(3):429-439
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Upper limb motor impairment is a common sequela of stroke and significantly compromisses patients’ activities of daily living and quality of life . Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation （nVNS） ，developed from conventional vagus nerve stimulation （VNS）， is a safer， more convenient， and cost-effective neuromodulation technique with the adventage of avtive regulation， It has been increasingly applied in clinical practice and neuroscience research，and its therapeutic potential in post-stroke upper limb rehabilitation has been preliminaruly demonstrated. This systematic review comprehensively examines the mechanistic basis and clinical advancements of nVNS in treating upper limb motor dysfunction following stroke， with a particular focus on the International Classification of Functioning， Disability and Health （ICF） framework. From the perspectives of body function， individual activity， and social participation， the rehabilitative effects of nVNS are analyzed in an integrated manner. Specifically， nVNS enhances neural plasticity， mitigates inflammatory responses， and improves cerebral perfusion in ischemic regions by modulating the secretion of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine， acetylcholine， and γ-aminobutyric acid， thereby promoting neurological recovery at the body function level. Moreover， the synergistic application of nVNS with rehabilitative training has been shown to sustainably improve motor function and activities of daily living， yielding functional benefits that extend to the levels of individual activity and social participation.Building upon this foundation， the present study examines the technical challenges confronting nVNS and proposes future research trajectories focusing on parameter optimization， multimodal neuromodulation integration， and rehabilitation for lower limb dysfunction. These directions aim to facilitate precision personalized therapeutics for stroke patients.
