VA Office of Research and Development
The objectives of this study are to identify an optimal transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) dosing regimen for pain relief and anti-inflammatory effects in Veterans with knee osteoarthritis (OA), compared to corticosteroid injection (CSI), and lay the groundwork for future combinatorial therapies with cell-based approaches. The population for this study is Veterans with osteoarthritis (OA). This single-center, randomized pilot study will enroll participants with knee OA, who will be allocated to CSI (n=10), high-dose taVNS (n=15; 1-2 hours/day, 7 days/week), or low-dose taVNS (n=15; 30-60 min/day, 3 days/week) for 12 weeks. Synovial fluid and blood samples will be collected at baseline, 4, and 12 weeks for biomarker analysis (pro-inflammatory cytokines: TNF-, IL-6, IL-1 ; anti-inflammatory mediators: IL-10, TGF-). The approximate study duration for each individual participant is 12 weeks of treatment with assessment visits at baseline, one month, and three months. Participants will be recruited at the Atlanta VA. The anticipated total enrollment is 40 participants. No specimens or data will be banked for future research use. Informed consent will be obtained from participants in person via signatures on written informed consent forms.
This pilot study will be the first to test home-based taVNS against corticosteroid injections (CSI) in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) to assess their effects on pain, function, and serum/synovial fluid pro and anti-inflammatory biomarkers. Adult participants diagnosed clinically and/or radiographically with KOA (n=40) will be randomized to CSI (n=10) or 12 weeks of taVNS (high dose n=15; low dose n=15) and assessed pre-procedure and at 1- and 3-month timepoints. The following outcome measures will be assessed: PEG-3, DVPRS, NIH-PROMIS, KOOS, and Central Sensitization Inventory. In addition, biomark…
Inclusion Criteria: * Clinical diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria, confirmed by radiologic evidence of the same. * Moderate to severe knee pain, as assessed by the Defense Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS), a validated pain scale (score ≥4) * Willingness to discontinue current knee osteoarthritis (OA) pain medications (except permitted rescue medication such as acetaminophen/paracetamol) during the trial * Ability to provide informed consent and comply with all study procedures * Ambulatory and able to attend all study visits Ex…
FDA-approved injection treatment applied to the knee for purposes of KOA pain management.
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a self-administered, home-based, non-invasive therapy with minimal risk of side effects. Mechanistically, taVNS targets auricular vagal afferents and requires afferent signaling to the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) to activate downstream efferent pathways in the central nervous system, including higher brain regions involved in pain processing (Fig 1), exerting anti-nociceptive effects.