Abstract
Protracted alcohol withdrawal symptoms (PAWS), characterized by the presence of substance-specific signs and symptoms (including anxiety, irritability, mood instability, insomnia, and cravings), make alcohol abstinence difficult and increase the risk of relapse in recovering alcoholics. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on PAWS and plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and leptin levels in patients with alcohol dependency. A total of 114 patients with alcohol dependence were randomly divided into two groups: the treatment group and the control group. The patients in the treatment group were treated with taVNS of the bilateral auricular concha using an ear vagus nerve stimulator. The Pennsylvania Alcohol Craving Scale was used to evaluate the extent of craving for alcohol. The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) were used to evaluate the extent of anxiety and depression symptoms, respectively. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure plasma BDNF, IL-6, TNF-α, and leptin levels. The results showed that the SDS and PSQI scores were significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group. Moreover, compared with the control group, the average BDNF levels in the treatment group were significantly increased. These results suggest that taVNS could improve the depression symptoms and sleep quality in alcohol-dependent patients after withdrawal, which might be related to the upregulation of plasma BDNF levels.
Highlights
It has been estimated that 3 million people die every year due to the harmful use of alcohol according to the data of the World Health Organization, which causes great health and economic losses to individuals and society
The present study is the first to demonstrate that transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) could improve depression and sleep quality in patients with alcohol dependence after withdrawal
The results of the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that the plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were significantly increased in patients receiving taVNS treatment
Summary
It has been estimated that 3 million people die every year due to the harmful use of alcohol according to the data of the World Health Organization, which causes great health and economic losses to individuals and society. PAWS, a cluster of symptoms that occurs because of the sudden cessation of alcohol consumption after chronic or prolonged ingestion, includes anxiety, irritability, mood instability, insomnia, and craving [3]. These withdrawal symptoms make attempts to abstain from alcohol difficult and increase the risk of relapse in recovering alcoholics. It is of great significance to prevent relapse by reducing withdrawal symptoms in patients with alcohol dependence. Drug therapy is mainly used to treat PAWS in patients with alcohol dependency. There is an urgent need to find a safe method to treat PAWS
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