Vagus nerve stimulation has been helping people for more than a century. tVNS brings it home.
For people living with epilepsy, depression, or chronic migraine, tVNS offers something surgery used to require: a way to work with your own vagus nerve, every day, at home.
What is tVNS
A 60-second explainer
The vagus nerve runs from the brainstem to nearly every organ in the body. It carries messages in both directions, regulating heart rate, digestion, inflammation, arousal, and mood. Clinicians have known for a long time that stimulating this nerve can calm the brain, reduce seizures, and lift mood. Until recently, the only way to do it was to implant a stimulator under the skin of the neck, through surgery.
tVNS is different. It is a small device that connects to a small earpiece, delivering gentle electrical impulses to a branch of the vagus nerve that surfaces in the cymba conchae of the outer ear. No surgery. No implant. Used at home, for a few hours a day, alongside whatever treatment you are already on.
The tVNS device is manufactured in Germany by tVNS Technologies GmbH and is a certified Class IIa medical device under EU MDR 2017/745. Anatomical Concepts UK is the UK distributor.
Conditions we support
Where tVNS has a role to play
The tVNS device has regulatory approval for several conditions where vagus nerve stimulation can play a role. Choose a condition to see the evidence and what tVNS might offer.
Epilepsy
For people whose seizures do not respond fully to medication. tVNS is used alongside existing anti-seizure drugs, never as a replacement, and has been shown in controlled trials to reduce seizure frequency.
Read more →Depression
A long-standing indication for vagus nerve stimulation, now available non-invasively. Can be used alongside other treatments.
Read more →Chronic migraine
For people whose migraines are frequent and severe enough to interfere with everyday life.
Read more →Prader-Willi syndrome
A rare indication where vagal stimulation has shown promise in managing some of the behavioural and metabolic features.
Read more →Why the UK home for tVNS
It is not just the device. It is the people behind it.
When you buy a medical device, the thing that often matters most is what happens after the purchase. Who answers the phone. Who handles a warranty claim. Who helps your clinician set the device up for you. For tVNS in the UK, that is us.
UK distributor
A regulated medical device
Not a wellness gadget. tVNS is Class IIa certified under EU MDR, manufactured to medical device standards in Germany.
UK-based support
Warranty, returns, and questions are handled by our team, not routed through another country.
Evidence-led guidance
We will tell you honestly what the research supports and what it does not. We do not oversell.
Decades of experience
Anatomical Concepts UK has been pioneering rehabilitation technology in the UK since 1992.
Evidence at a glance
The numbers in plain sight
A short snapshot of what the strongest studies show. Full references and deeper analysis are in the clinicians section.
of people with drug-resistant epilepsy achieved at least a 50% reduction in seizures in the largest controlled trial (Yang et al. 2023, 150 patients). Around 17% in the control group.
achieved at least a 50% reduction in a real-world study at Beijing Tiantan Hospital (2024), after 1 to 2 years of treatment.
severe adverse events attributed to the device in the controlled trials to date.
These numbers come from studies of drug-resistant epilepsy. Results for other conditions differ and are covered on the individual condition pages. As with any treatment, individual outcomes vary. We do not promise recovery that the evidence cannot support.
Questions are welcome.
Whether you are a clinician exploring tVNS for a patient, or a patient or carer trying to understand whether this might help, we are happy to talk.