Brain Stimulation Therapy for Rapid Relief of Flu-Related Sleep Problems

A noninvasive brain stimulation therapy has demonstrated positive results in providing rapid relief for sleep disorders induced by the influenza virus, according to a study published in Translational Psychiatry by Nature on March 30, 2026.

The research indicates that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can alleviate sleep complications that often persist even after a patient’s fever and respiratory symptoms have improved. These sleep issues are common complications of influenza but are frequently overlooked during standard recovery.

The Role of rTMS in Influenza Recovery

The study, a retrospective cohort study conducted at the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, enrolled 55 adults between the ages of 18 and 40 who had acute influenza between 2023 and 2025. None of the participants had other comorbidities.

Researchers divided the participants into three distinct groups to evaluate the efficacy of the stimulation therapy:

• A positive control group consisting of 20 individuals receiving conventional treatment.
• An rTMS group of 16 individuals receiving both conventional treatment and rTMS.
• A negative control group of 20 healthy individuals.

The rTMS protocol involved a frequency of 10 Hz, administered once per day for 20 to 30 minutes. Each session consisted of 3,000 pulses at 100% of the motor threshold, spanning a total treatment period of three days.

Biological Pathways and Brain Function

The research sought to reveal the influenza-immune inflammation-abnormal brain function-sleep disorder pathway. Using two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR), the researchers found that influenza correlated with insomnia and 27 different brain structural changes, with the frontal region of the brain being the most affected.

The study identified specific biological mediators that link the virus to sleep disruption. Serum IgM and neutrophils were found to mediate sleep disorders, connecting these immune responses to the Sleep Disorder-Visual Analog Scale (SD-VAS) and the frontal gray matter.

Specific areas of the brain were highlighted as key to this process, namely the right orbital gyrus and the left inferior frontal gyrus.

Measuring Treatment Efficacy

To track the impact of the therapy, the researchers utilized several assessment tools, including polysomnography (PSG), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure frontal oxygenated hemoglobin, and ELISA for nine blood indicators.

Before receiving rTMS, patients exhibited abnormal sleep duration, efficiency, and sleep stages compared to the healthy negative control group. FNIRS data revealed higher levels of oxygenated hemoglobin in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (L-VLPFC) and the right orbitofrontal cortex (R-OFC).

Following the three-day rTMS treatment, the results showed a marked improvement in sleep compared to the positive control group receiving only conventional treatment. This improvement was associated with lower oxygenated hemoglobin levels in the R-OFC and L-VLPFC.

The researchers concluded that rTMS provides short-term relief for influenza-related sleep disorders by inhibiting the overactivation of the frontal brain regions.

Diagnostic Modeling and Outcomes

The study also developed a diagnostic tool to identify these disorders. A 7-indicator ROC model was created, which achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.8571, suggesting a high level of accuracy in the model’s ability to distinguish these sleep disorders.

By calming brain activity and tempering the immune responses triggered by the virus, the noninvasive therapy offers a potential adjuvant value to conventional influenza treatments, specifically targeting the neurological complications that hinder full recovery.