Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Assessment Combined with Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Temporomandibular Disorders: A Single-Arm Exploratory Pilot Study
Ramesh Chandra Patra, V. Subramanyam, Kilani Kusuma, Nandini Dhingra, Reecha Bedi, J. P. Andrew, Deepti Agrawal GargAbstract
Aim:
This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and explore the clinical outcomes of integrating artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted diagnostic assessment with transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) in adults with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs).
Methods:
This prospective, single-arm exploratory pilot study included 30 adults with clinically diagnosed TMD. Participants received a standardized 4-week taVNS intervention using the VagusStim® device (VagusStim Technologies). AI models were used to assess symptom patterns and explore predictors of response (not for diagnosis). Primary outcomes included pain (Visual Analog Scale) and jaw function (Jaw Functional Limitation Scale). Secondary outcomes included maximum mouth opening (MMO), heart rate variability (HRV) (root mean square of successive differences [RMSSDs] and low-frequency/high-frequency ratio [LF/HF]), and quality of life.
Results:
Statistically significant improvements were observed in pain, jaw function, MMO, HRV indices (RMSSD and LF/HF ratio), and quality of life (
Conclusion:
In this exploratory single-arm study, AI-assisted assessment combined with taVNS was associated with improvements in clinical and physiological outcomes. Due to the absence of a control group, no causal inferences can be made. These findings support feasibility and justify future randomized controlled trials.