New intervention strategy for postoperative fatigue syndrome in elderly patients with colorectal cancer: a clinical hypothesis study based on vagus nerve stimulation

作者：Xuefeng Yin, Shuang Qiao, Ling Zhang, Zhonghua Li, Qin Zhang, Yu Shen, Keyu Fan, Mingxia Liu, Dongxu Wang, Yabing Cao, Yuxuan Zhang, Qian Lü, Di Wu, Jing-Qiu Wei, Ying Yang, He Liu · 发表于：Frontiers in Medicine · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3389/fmed.2025.1588850 · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Vagus Nerve Stimulation Research、Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control、Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies

Postoperative fatigue syndrome (POFS) comprises symptoms including fatigue, insomnia, inattention, depression, tension, and anxiety following surgery. These manifestations encompass exhaustion, weakness, malaise, and emotional disturbances, impacting hospital stay duration, quality of life, rehabilitation progress, and work performance. While the etiology of POFS remains complex, recent evidence suggests that external stimuli may induce pro-inflammatory cytokine release, leading to fatigue. Surgical procedures trigger an inflammatory reaction that stimulates the nervous system, generating fatigue symptoms. Both animal and human studies demonstrate that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) can reduce pro-inflammatory cytokine production by activating the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP). Considering the pivotal role of inflammation in the development of POFS and the vagus nerve's capacity to modulate inflammatory responses, we hypothesize that transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) holds significant potential for alleviating POFS in elderly patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery. In this paper, we propose a hypothetical scheme to validate this hypothesis through the application of taVNS in future clinical studies.