Efficacy and Mechanism of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Patients With Poststroke Dysphagia: Protocol for a Randomized, Sham-Controlled Clinical Trial

Luming Gao   ^{1 *} , MBBS ;   Jin Li   ^{1, 2, 3, 4 *} , MBBS ;   Miao Xie   ¹ , MBBS ;   Canyi Xu   ¹ , MBBS ;   Changying Zhang   ¹ , MBBS ;   Weichuan Kuang   ⁴ , MSc ;   Xi Wen   ⁴ , MD ;   Xiaoyin Wang   ⁴ , MSc ;   Yue Liu   ⁴ , MSc ;   Yu Wang   ^{5 *} , MD ;   Tong Liu   ^{1, 3, 4 *} , MD

¹ The Fifth College of Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China

² Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

³ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research and Development in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

⁴ Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation, Guangdong Provincial Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

⁵ Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, Beijing, China

*these authors contributed equally