Electroceutical enhancement of self-compassion training using transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation: results from a preregistered fully factorial randomized controlled trial
Psychological Medicine January 1, 2025 Sunjeev K. Kamboj, Matthew Peniket, Jessica Norman et al.
Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) combined with a brief self-compassion mental imagery training (SC-MIT) produced a larger acute increase in state self-compassion and mindfulness than either intervention alone in healthy adults. Over eight daily sessions, tVNS plus SC-MIT showed accumulating effects on mindfulness but not self-compassion. Self-criticism and attentional bias toward compassionate faces were influenced only by the type of imagery training, not by stimulation. Heart rate variability was unaffected by any condition. The findings suggest tVNS may enhance meditation-based psychotherapies, while oculomotor metrics appear sensitive to self-compassion training.