{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,5]],"date-time":"2026-08-05T12:23:38Z","timestamp":1785932618918,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,14]],"date-time":"2023-06-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1686700800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Pain Res."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>Children with cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) frequently suffer from disabling abdominal pain and comorbidities that impair quality of life. A noninvasive, auricular percutaneous electrical nerve field stimulation (PENFS) device is shown to be effective for abdominal pain in children with disorders of gut\u2013brain interaction. We aimed to determine the effects of PENFS on pain, common comorbidities, and quality of life in pediatric CVS.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Children aged 8\u201318 years with drug-refractory CVS were enrolled in a prospective, open-label study receiving 6 consecutive weeks of PENFS. Subjects completed the following surveys at baseline, during\/after therapy (week 6), and at extended follow-up approximately 4\u20136 months later: Abdominal Pain Index (API), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAI-C), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric Profile-37.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Thirty subjects were included. Median (interquartile range, IQR) age was 10.5 (8.5\u201315.5)\u2005years; 60% were female. Median API scores decreased from baseline to week 6 (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.003) and to extended follow-up (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009&amp;lt;\u20090.0001). State anxiety scores decreased from baseline to week 6 (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009&amp;lt;\u20090.0001) and to extended follow-up (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009&amp;lt;\u20090.0001). There were short-term improvements in sleep at 6 weeks (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.031) but not at extended follow-up (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.22). Quality of life measures of physical function, anxiety, fatigue, and pain interference improved short-term, while there were long-term benefits for anxiety. No serious side effects were reported.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>This is the first study to demonstrate the efficacy of auricular neurostimulation using PENFS for pain and several disabling comorbidities in pediatric CVS. PENFS improves anxiety, sleep, and several aspects of quality of life with long-term benefits for anxiety.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Clinical trial registration<\/jats:bold>: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03434652.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpain.2023.1203541","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,14]],"date-time":"2023-06-14T05:00:20Z","timestamp":1686718820000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Percutaneous electrical nerve field stimulation improves comorbidities in children with cyclic vomiting syndrome"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"4","author":[{"given":"Katja","family":"Karrento","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Liyun","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"William","family":"Conley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zeeshan","family":"Qazi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thangam","family":"Venkatesan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pippa","family":"Simpson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"B U.K.","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"379","DOI":"10.1097\/MPG.0b013e318173ed39","article-title":"North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition consensus statement on the diagnosis and management of cyclic vomiting syndrome","volume":"47","author":"Li","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"493","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpeds.2013.01.025","article-title":"Health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with cyclic vomiting syndrome: a comparison with published data on youth with irritable bowel syndrome and organic gastrointestinal disorders","volume":"163","author":"Tarbell","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Pediatr"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1016\/j.autneu.2016.08.010","article-title":"Anxiety and physiological responses to the Trier Social Stress Test for Children in adolescents with cyclic vomiting syndrome","volume":"202","author":"Tarbell","year":"2017","journal-title":"Auton Neurosci"},{"key":"B4","first-page":"19S","article-title":"Psychological and social characteristics and precipitants of vomiting in children with cyclic vomiting syndrome","volume":"44","author":"Forbes","year":"1999","journal-title":"Dig Dis Sci"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"259","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1526-4610.2007.00997.x","article-title":"Psychiatric symptoms in children and adolescents with cyclic vomiting syndrome and their parents","volume":"48","author":"Tarbell","year":"2008","journal-title":"Headache"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"633","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpeds.2015.05.032","article-title":"Anxiety measures predict health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with cyclic vomiting syndrome","volume":"167","author":"Tarbell","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Pediatr"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"CD008013","DOI":"10.1002\/14651858.CD008013.pub3","article-title":"Antidepressants for functional abdominal pain disorders in children and adolescents","volume":"2","author":"de Bruijn","year":"2021","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1063","DOI":"10.1017\/S1461145712001265","article-title":"Polypharmacy with antidepressants in children and adolescents","volume":"17","author":"Diaz-Caneja","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int J Neuropsychopharmacol"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"727","DOI":"10.1016\/S2468-1253(17)30253-4","article-title":"Neurostimulation for abdominal pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorders in adolescents: a randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled trial","volume":"2","author":"Kovacic","year":"2017","journal-title":"Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1987","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cgh.2019.10.012","article-title":"Efficacy of auricular neurostimulation in adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome in a randomized, double-blind trial","volume":"18","author":"Krasaelap","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e14358","DOI":"10.1111\/nmo.14358","article-title":"Effect of percutaneous electrical nerve field stimulation on mechanosensitivity, sleep, and psychological comorbidities in adolescents with functional abdominal pain disorders","volume":"34","author":"Santucci","year":"2022","journal-title":"Neurogastroenterol Motil"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1534","DOI":"10.14309\/ajg.0000000000000753","article-title":"Impaired vagal efficiency predicts auricular neurostimulation response in adolescent functional abdominal pain disorders","volume":"115","author":"Kovacic","year":"2020","journal-title":"Am J Gastroenterol"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"363","DOI":"10.1016\/S0022-3476(99)70135-6","article-title":"Evaluation of neurocardiac signals in pediatric patients with cyclic vomiting syndrome through power spectral analysis of heart rate variability","volume":"135","author":"To","year":"1999","journal-title":"J Pediatr"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1303","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2982.2010.01577.x","article-title":"Autonomic nerve function in adults with cyclic vomiting syndrome: a prospective study","volume":"22","author":"Venkatesan","year":"2010","journal-title":"Neurogastroenterol Motil"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"326","DOI":"10.1097\/MPG.0b013e31802bddb7","article-title":"Autonomic abnormalities in cyclic vomiting syndrome","volume":"44","author":"Chelimsky","year":"2007","journal-title":"J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.14309\/ajg.0000000000002207","article-title":"Cardiac vagal regulation is impeded in children with cyclic vomiting syndrome","author":"Kolacz","year":"2023","journal-title":"Am J Gastroenterol"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1456","DOI":"10.1053\/j.gastro.2016.02.015","article-title":"Functional disorders: children and adolescents","volume":"150","author":"Hyams","year":"2016","journal-title":"Gastroenterology"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"517","DOI":"10.1093\/jpepsy\/jsu118","article-title":"Validation of the Abdominal Pain Index using a revised scoring method","volume":"40","author":"Laird","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Pediatr Psychol"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1033","DOI":"10.1093\/jpepsy\/jsw030","article-title":"Adaptation of the state-trait inventory for cognitive and somatic anxiety for use in children: a preliminary analysis","volume":"41","author":"Deacy","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Pediatr Psychol"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1016\/0165-1781(89)90047-4","article-title":"The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research","volume":"28","author":"Buysse","year":"1989","journal-title":"Psychiatry Res"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1323","DOI":"10.1097\/j.pain.0000000000000914","article-title":"Development and validation of the self-reported PROMIS pediatric pain behavior item bank and short form scale","volume":"158","author":"Cunningham","year":"2017","journal-title":"Pain"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e198","DOI":"10.1038\/ctg.2016.55","article-title":"The cyclic vomiting syndrome threshold: a framework for understanding pathogenesis and predicting successful treatments","volume":"7","author":"Levinthal","year":"2016","journal-title":"Clin Transl Gastroenterol"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.3390\/jpm10030119","article-title":"Application of noninvasive vagal nerve stimulation to stress-related psychiatric disorders","volume":"10","author":"Bremner","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Pers Med"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brs.2018.09.013","article-title":"Vagus nerve stimulation promotes generalization of conditioned fear extinction and reduces anxiety in rats","volume":"12","author":"Noble","year":"2019","journal-title":"Brain Stimul"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1111\/nmo.13004","article-title":"Cyclic vomiting syndrome is characterized by altered functional brain connectivity of the insular cortex: a cross-comparison with migraine and healthy adults","volume":"29","author":"Ellingsen","year":"2017","journal-title":"Neurogastroenterol Motil"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"275","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-444-63327-9.00010-2","article-title":"Targeting plasticity with vagus nerve stimulation to treat neurological disease","volume":"207","author":"Hays","year":"2013","journal-title":"Prog Brain Res"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"715","DOI":"10.1093\/pm\/pnaa317","article-title":"Feasibility of auricular field stimulation in fibromyalgia: evaluation by functional magnetic resonance imaging, randomized trial","volume":"22","author":"Woodbury","year":"2021","journal-title":"Pain Med"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e14147","DOI":"10.1111\/nmo.14147","article-title":"Healthcare spending and utilization for pediatric irritable bowel syndrome in a commercially insured population","volume":"33","author":"Beinvogl","year":"2021","journal-title":"Neurogastroenterol Motil"},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2035","DOI":"10.1007\/s10620-016-4432-7","article-title":"Clinical characteristics, comorbidities and hospital outcomes in hospitalizations with cyclic vomiting syndrome: a nationwide analysis","volume":"62","author":"Bhandari","year":"2017","journal-title":"Dig Dis Sci"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.3390\/children9010055","article-title":"Cyclic vomiting syndrome-related hospitalizations trends, comorbidities & health care costs in children: a population based study","volume":"9","author":"Thavamani","year":"2022","journal-title":"Children"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2377-10-10","article-title":"Treatment of cyclic vomiting syndrome with co-enzyme Q10 and amitriptyline, a retrospective study","volume":"10","author":"Boles","year":"2010","journal-title":"BMC Neurol"},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"217","DOI":"10.1002\/da.22584","article-title":"The association of antidepressant drug usage with cognitive impairment or dementia, including Alzheimer disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"34","author":"Moraros","year":"2017","journal-title":"Depress Anxiety"},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1152\/physiolgenomics.00062.2017","article-title":"Distribution and function of the muscarinic receptor subtypes in the cardiovascular system","volume":"50","author":"Saternos","year":"2018","journal-title":"Physiol Genomics"},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"568051","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2020.568051","article-title":"International consensus based review and recommendations for minimum reporting standards in research on transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (version 2020)","volume":"14","author":"Farmer","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Hum Neurosci"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Pain Research"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpain.2023.1203541\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,14]],"date-time":"2023-06-14T05:00:25Z","timestamp":1686718825000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpain.2023.1203541\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,14]]},"references-count":34,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpain.2023.1203541"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpain.2023.1203541","relation":{},"ISSN":["2673-561X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2673-561X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,14]]},"article-number":"1203541"}}