Effect Of Vagus Nerve Stimulation On Headache And Heart Rate Variability In Patients Of Chronic Migraine

Migraine is a common and debilitating neurological disorder, often causing significant disability, particularly in young women. Chronic migraine (CM), defined as headaches occurring 15 or more days per month with migraine characteristics on at least 8 days, affects about 1-2% of the global population. Despite treatment options such as triptans and prophylactic therapies like beta-blockers and Onabotulinum toxin-A, treatment efficacy remains suboptimal, and many patients experience medication overuse headaches. This has led to interest in non-pharmacological treatments, such as transcutaneous auricular non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (ta-nVNS), which has shown promise in reducing the frequency and severity of migraines.

The proposed study aims to assess the efficacy of ta-nVNS in both the prevention and management of chronic migraine, specifically focusing on headache frequency, duration, and heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of autonomic dysfunction associated with migraine. Patients diagnosed with chronic migraine will receive ta-nVNS treatment twice weekly for six weeks. The study will also record HRV as a secondary outcome to assess autonomic function changes. The findings could provide valuable insights into the role of ta-nVNS in migraine management, particularly in under-researched populations such as those in India.