Transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation for consciousness recovery in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (TAVREC): study protocol for a multicenter, triple-blind, randomized controlled trial in China.

Introduction: Prolonged disorders of consciousness (pDoC) are a catastrophic condition following brain injury with few therapeutic options. Transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS), a safe, non-invasive intervention modulating thalamo-cortical connectivity and brain function, is a possible treatment option of pDoC. We developed a protocol for a randomised controlled study to evaluate the effectiveness of taVNS on consciousness recovery in patients with pDoC (TAVREC).