Objective: To evaluate the effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on motor function and gait in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Background: taVNS is a noninvasive neuromodulation approach explored for PD, with early studies showing mixed results regarding improvements in motor and gait outcomes.

Method: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang databases was conducted up to February, 2026. Randomized controlled trials comparing taVNS to sham or control in PD patients were included. Primary outcomes were motor function (MDS-UPDRS Part III), gait performance, and gait parameters. Data were pooled using a fixed-effects model, with random-effects models as sensitivity analyses. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool and PEDro scale, and evidence certainty was evaluated with GRADE.

Results: Seven RCTs including 183 patients were analyzed. taVNS improved motor function, with a mean difference of −2.64 points on the MDS-UPDRS Part III scale (95% CI: −4.23 to −1.05, p < 0.001). Stride length increased by 0.13 m (95% CI: 0.05–0.22, p < 0.001). No significant effect was observed for gait speed. Overall risk of bias was low, and the certainty of evidence was moderate due to small sample sizes.

Conclusion: taVNS provides modest benefits in motor function and stride length in PD, but its impact on gait speed is unclear. Larger, high-quality trials are needed to confirm clinical value and establish optimal treatment protocols.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/transcutaneous-auricular-vagus-nerve-stimulation-as-a-novel-therapy-for-parkinsons-disease-meta-analytic-evidence-of-motor-and-gait-effects/