Quantifying acute physiological biomarkers of transcutaneous cervical vagal nerve stimulation in the context of psychological stress

BackgroundStress is associated with activation of the sympathetic nervous system, and can lead to lasting alterations in autonomic function and in extreme cases symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) is a potentially useful tool as a modulator of autonomic nervous system function, however currently available implantable devices are limited by cost and inconvenience.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was...