Exploring the Role of taVNS in Nausea Management

This single-center randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the efficacy of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in alleviating nausea in healthy adults. The primary aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of taVNS in reducing nausea in healthy adults subjected to nausea induction through intragastric lipid infusion, compared to sham stimulation, as measured by 0-100 Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores. The secondary objectives include evaluating the potential of taVNS to alleviate other gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain, bloating, and fullness, as well as exploring its effects on the desire to eat, all measured using 0-100 VAS scores. Additionally, changes in autonomic parameters, plasma levels of ghrelin and motilin, and salivary cortisol will be evaluated. The relationship between the nausea response and affective symptoms, as well as personality traits, will also be explored. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the taVNS or the sham stimulation group, with the intervention administered for 30 minutes immediately following nausea induction through intragastric lipid infusion.