REVIEW article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Autonomic Disorders
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1615635
Electroacupuncture and Vagus Nerve Stimulation are Emerging Therapies for Hyperemesis Gravidarum Management
Provisionally accepted
- 1Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- 2First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
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Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), an extreme form of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP), significantly impairs the quality of life of affected individuals. This review examines the multifactorial etiology of HG and evaluates the efficacy of non-traditional therapeutic approaches, namely vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and electroacupuncture. By synthesizing a comprehensive body of literature, we highlight the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying these therapies and propose a novel model for HG management. The model focuses on vagus nerve modulation through targeted stimulation at auricular and cervical points, suggesting a promising avenue for effective and safe treatment strategies against NVP/HG.
Keywords: Hyperemesis Gravidarum, Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, Electroacupuncture, Vagus Nerve Stimulation, Acupuncture, Growth and Differentiation Factor 15
Received: 21 Apr 2025; Accepted: 12 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Shike, He, Li and Guo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Hui He, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China
Yi Guo, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
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