Journal ArticleDOI
Optimization of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation Using Functional MRI.
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TLDR
In this article, the authors used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine the most effective location for tVNS, and they found that stimulation at the ear canal resulted in the weakest activation of the solitary tract (NTS), the recipient of most afferent vagal projections, and a brainstem nucleus that receives direct input from the NTS.Abstract:
Objective/Hypothesis
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an established therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy, depression, and a number of other disorders. Transcutaneous stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (tVNS) has been considered as a non-invasive alternative. Several functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on the effects of tVNS used different stimulation parameters and locations in the ear, which makes it difficult to determine the optimal tVNS methodology. The present study used fMRI to determine the most effective location for tVNS.
Materials and Methods
Four stimulation locations in the ear were compared: the inner tragus, inferoposterior wall of the ear canal, cymba conchae, and earlobe (sham). Thirty-seven healthy subjects underwent two 6-min tVNS stimulation runs per electrode location (monophasic rectangular 500 μs pulses, 25 Hz). General linear model was performed using SPM; region-of-interest analyses were performed for the brainstem areas.
Results
Stimulation at the ear canal resulted in the weakest activation of the nucleus of solitary tract (NTS), the recipient of most afferent vagal projections, and of the locus coeruleus (LC), a brainstem nucleus that receives direct input from the NTS. Stimulation of the inner tragus and cymba conchae activated these two nuclei as compared to sham. However, ROI analysis showed that only stimulation of the cymba conchae produced a significantly stronger activation in both the NTS and LC than did the sham stimulation.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that tVNS at the cymba conchae properly activates the vagal pathway and results in its strongest activation, and thus may be the optimal location for tVNS therapies applied to the auricle.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Targeted Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Rehabilitation After Stroke.
TL;DR: The neurobiological rationale for VNS therapy is discussed, an in-depth discussion of both animal and human studies of V NS therapy for stroke, and the challenges and opportunities for the future use of VNS Therapy are outlined.
Journal ArticleDOI
Tragus or cymba conchae? Investigating the anatomical foundation of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS).
Bashar W. Badran,Joshua C. Brown,Logan T. Dowdle,Oliver J. Mithoefer,Nicholas T. LaBate,James Coatsworth,William H. DeVries,Christopher W. Austelle,Lisa M. McTeague,Alfred B. Yu,Marom Bikson,Dorothea Jenkins,Mark S. George +12 more
TL;DR: This research highlights the need to understand more fully the role of emotion in the development of central nervous system disorders and the role that emotion plays in the decision-making process.
Journal ArticleDOI
Neural networks and the anti-inflammatory effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation in depression
Chun-Hong Liu,Ming-Hao Yang,Guang-Zhong Zhang,Xiao-Xu Wang,Bin Li,Meng Li,Marie Woelfer,Marie Woelfer,Martin Walter,Lihong Wang +9 more
TL;DR: The anatomic foundation of taVNS is outlined and it is emphasized that it significantly modulates the activity and connectivity of a wide range of neural networks, including the default mode network, executive network, and networks involved in emotional and reward circuits, which suggests a link between the suppression of inflammation and changes in brain regions/circuits post taV NS.
Journal ArticleDOI
Recent advances in devices for vagus nerve stimulation.
TL;DR: VNS devices are currently being investigated for stroke rehabilitation, treatment of chronic heart failure and rheumatoid arthritis, and further research needs to be conducted to validate the use of these devices and decide on optimal stimulation parameters.
Journal ArticleDOI
Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Humans Induces Pupil Dilation and Attenuates Alpha Oscillations.
TL;DR: TVNS reliably induces pupillary and EEG markers of arousal beyond the effects of somatosensory stimulation, thus supporting the hypothesis that tVNS elevates noradrenaline and other arousal-promoting neuromodulatory signaling, and mimics invasive VNS.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Reversing pathological neural activity using targeted plasticity
Jonathan Riley,Jonathan D. Seale,William A. Vrana,Jai Shetake,Sindhu P. Sudanagunta,Michael S. Borland,Michael P. Kilgard +6 more
TL;DR: Evidence is reported that reversing the brain changes responsible can eliminate the perceptual impairment in an animal model of noise-induced tinnitus and this method for restoring neural activity to normal may be applicable to a variety of neurological disorders.
Journal ArticleDOI
Vagal nerve stimulation: a review of its applications and potential mechanisms that mediate its clinical effects.
Duncan A. Groves,Verity J. Brown +1 more
TL;DR: Although the precise mechanism of action of VNS is still unknown, the search for the mechanism has the potential to lend new insight into the neuropathology of depression, a review of the pre-clinical and clinical literature relating to VNS concludes.
Journal ArticleDOI
The nerve supply of the human auricle.
Elmar Peuker,Timm J. Filler +1 more
TL;DR: The aim of this study was to describe the system of the auricular nerve supply on 14 ears of seven cadavers and find a heterogeneous distribution of two cranial branchial nerves and two somatic cervical nerves.
Journal ArticleDOI
Locus Coeruleus Lesions Suppress the Seizure-Attenuating Effects of Vagus Nerve Stimulation
TL;DR: VNS is now marketed throughout most of the world as a treatment for drug‐resistant epilepsy, but the therapeutic mechanism of action of VNS‐induced seizure suppression has not yet been established and elucidation of this mechanism is an important first step in the developed strategies to improve VNS efficacy.
Journal ArticleDOI
Non-invasive Access to the Vagus Nerve Central Projections via Electrical Stimulation of the External Ear: fMRI Evidence in Humans.
TL;DR: Findings in humans provide evidence in humans that the central projections of the ABVN are consistent with the "classical" central vagal projections and can be accessed non-invasively via the external ear.