Аңдатпа
Introduction. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), both invasive and non-invasive, has demonstrated significant effects on emotional states in various psychiatric and neurological disorders, with evidence supporting its role in improving mood, reducing anxiety, and enhancing overall quality of life. Despite demonstrated effectiveness, non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation has a set of shortcomings and unsolved technical problems. Aim.We aimed to examine an individual threshold of vagus nerve stimulation for minimizing the negative impact of everyday job-related stress. Materials and methods.A total of 14 volunteers, 40 ± 13.75 years, were recruited for the study. We used a combination of pleasant meditative classical music and a slow bi-polar wave of non-invasive transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the auricular area (BrainPatch platform for non-invasive stimulation). The set of 7 neuromodulation sessions was performed during staff work hours. Psychological testing included State and Trait Anxiety (STAI), psychological stress level (PSM-25), severity of emotional burnout (MBI), depressive symptomatology (IDS), generalized anxiety (GAD-7), and experienced positive and negative emotions (PANAS). Results. VNS leads to significant decreases in depression, generalized anxiety, and State Anxiety scores. Due to the large variability of the data and a generally fairly low level of burnout in the sample, the detected changes were not statistically significant. Our data indicate that the first signs of improvement in psychoemotional state (decrease in Negative Affect scores and the increase in Positive Affect) are observed after three sessions of threshold stimulation, with improvements maintained at follow-up for the final day. Conclusions.The proposed approach to selecting an effective stimulation regimen proves its validity. An individual threshold has demonstrated significant therapeutic effects of taVNS on emotion regulation, depression, and anxiety. BrainPatch non-invasive stimulation technology demonstrates potential for reducing depression symptoms, anxiety, and improving mood, making it a promising intervention for individuals experiencing stress and burnout.