Federally funded · Active since 2021
A feasibility and acceptability study of daily, non-invasive auricular vagus nerve stimulation to reduce PTSD symptoms among 9/11 responders, twenty years after the attacks.
Posttraumatic stress disorder remains the most prevalent mental health diagnosis among first responders to the World Trade Center attacks, and the trauma-focused therapies with the strongest evidence carry high dropout. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a non-invasive, self-administered alternative that engages the same autonomic pathways.
Funded by a NIOSH award (2021 to 2023) led by Rebecca Schwartz and Theodoros Zanos, the study began with focus groups on responders' mental health needs and their views of the device, published in 2022, and proceeded to a daily stimulation protocol whose adherence and clinical outcomes were published in 2026.
Awards
Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of using non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation to reduce PTSD symptoms in WTC responders
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health · $700K · 2021 to 2023
Rebecca Schwartz and Theodoros Zanos
U01OH012050 (opens in new tab)“The primary aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of daily taVNS among 9/11 responders with PTSD over eight weeks, focused on recruitment rates, intervention adherence, and retention.”Debnath et al., IJERPH, 2026. p. 3 (opens in new tab)
“This pilot study used a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design with 2:1 allocation to taVNS or sham.”Debnath et al., IJERPH, 2026. p. 3 (opens in new tab)
Randomized: 21 taVNS and 11 sham participants.
Group counts: Table 1, p. 8 (opens in new tab)“Participants in both the taVNS and sham groups were instructed to self-administer 15 min at-home treatment sessions daily for 8 weeks.”Debnath et al., IJERPH, 2026. p. 5 (opens in new tab)
“The study achieved a retention rate of 90.6%, surpassing the predetermined target of 70%, with only three participants withdrawing or lost to follow-up. ... Participants maintained an average compliance rate of 80.23% with daily taVNS use over eight weeks, ranging from 17.86% to 100% (see Figure 2).”Debnath et al., IJERPH, 2026. p. 9 (opens in new tab)
“These analyses were conducted with an exploratory focus because the study was not powered to assess efficacy on these measures. ... however, the difference between baseline and follow-up in both groups was not statistically significant.”Debnath et al., IJERPH, 2026. p. 9 (opens in new tab)
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