Subjective cognitive decline (SCD)
Conditions
Interventions
TaVNS group:Undergo real transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation, 30 min per session, 5 times per week, for a total of 4 weeks
Sham TaVNS group:Wear electrodes at the same site but only receive a sham stimulation with extremely low current (<0.1 mA), which does not activate the vagus nerve, and the rest of the procedure is ex
Sponsors
Wuxi Huishan Rehabilitation Hospital
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
55 Years to 80 Years
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: 1. Aged 55–80 years, right-handed. 2. Meet SCD criteria: self-reported persistent memory decline =6 months compared with previous normal status, unrelated to acute events. 3. Performance on standardized neuropsychological tests (memory, processing speed/executive function, language) below the diagnostic cut-off for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). 4. Visual acuity (or corrected) >=0.8, able to perform the n-back task. 5. Intact external auditory canal and tympanic membrane, suitable for auricular electrode placement. 6. Willing to participate, provide written informed consent, and comply with follow-up visits.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1. Meets diagnostic criteria for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or any form of dementia. 2. Any prior neurological disorder (stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, etc.). 3. Prior psychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, alcohol/drug dependence) or HAMD-17 score >= 7. 4. Severe visual or hearing impairment, aphasia, or upper-limb motor deficit preventing completion of cognitive tasks. 5. External auditory canal inflammation, eczema, ulceration, or inability to remove hearing aids. 6. Implanted cardiac pacemaker, defibrillator, vagus nerve stimulator, or any metallic implant. 7. Cardiovascular diseases including uncontrolled hypertension, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, or heart failure. 8. Participation in another clinical trial within the past 3 months. 9. Non-right-handedness confirmed by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. 10. Any condition that the investigator deems unsuitable for participation.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Accuracy rate;Reaction time; | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Mini-mental State Examination scale, MMSE;Montreal Cognitive Assessment Basic Version, MoCA;Auditory Language Learning Test (Huashan Version), AVLT-H;Fluency tests in animals, AFT;30 Boston Naming Test, BNT;Shape trail Making test A, STT-A-C;Shape trail Making Test B, STT-B-C; | — |
Countries
China
Contacts
Public ContactShen Ya
Wuxi Huishan Rehabilitation Hospital
Outcome results
None listed