Anna Harrison
BioE M.S. Defense
April 18th, 2022
2:00pm
BlueJeans Link: https://bluejeans.com/352454334/1570

Meeting ID: 352 454 334

Committee:
Omer T. Inan, Ph.D. (Advisor) (School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology)
J. Douglas Bremner, M.D.  (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine)
Robert J. Butera, Ph.D.  (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University)

TRANSCUTANEOUS CERVICAL VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER

In the United States, opioid use disorder is quickly becoming a leading cause of death and a public health emergency.  Opioid dependence is incredibly debilitating and pervasive; even if patients would like to end opioid use, the extreme withdrawal symptoms often discourage patients.  Medication assisted treatment of opioid use disorder is the current gold standard for patient care, but patients must undergo a ‘washout’ period wherein they are unable to use opioids or begin medication assisted treatment and are particularly susceptible to withdrawal symptoms and accidental overdose.  Transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation (tcVNS) is a treatment modality that has been proposed for opioid use disorder patients during this period of early abstinence, as this treatment effects the same brain regions that are responsible for withdrawal and craving symptoms.  Additionally, tcVNS offers a device-based (rather than medication-based), noninvasive, low-risk, inexpensive option for treatment of opioid use disorder.

This thesis outlines a double-blind, sham-controlled, randomized clinical study to determine the effectiveness of tcVNS for patients undergoing acute opioid withdrawal.  Several sensors were used to record biosignals and extract biomarkers of autonomic nervous system functionality; additionally, subjective surveys were used to determine patient perception of their withdrawal and craving symptoms.  Methodologies of biomarker extraction are explored, and the effectiveness of tcVNS for reducing opioid withdrawal symptoms is assessed.  Though more investigation is required, preliminary data suggests that tcVNS is effective in reducing withdrawal symptoms, pain, and distress; additionally, several biomarkers showed significant differences between active and sham groups, suggesting that autonomic nervous system activity is altered during tcVNS in patients undergoing active opioid withdrawal.