The Effect of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation on The Locus Coreulus – Noradrenaline System

Recent research by Sharon et al. (2020) indicated an activating effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on the locus coreleus noradrenergic (LC-NA) system. Given the mixed findings of previous research, we replicated this study to validate and extend their results. Twenty-one subjects participated in a repeated measures design using the same no-task paradigm as Sharon et al. (2020). Additionally, we extended the analysis to explore indicators of LC-NA activity in the EEG time domain. We compared EEG activity between sham (earlobe) and stimulation (cymba conchae) conditions. Our analysis found significantly less alpha activity during taVNS compared to sham stimulation. This confirms the finding of Sharon et al. (2020) - taVNS attenuates alpha oscillations. However, we found no differences in ERPs between conditions. This was likely due to methodological limitations that make the design inappropriate for ERP research. Our results support an effect of taVNS...Show moreRecent research by Sharon et al. (2020) indicated an activating effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on the locus coreleus noradrenergic (LC-NA) system. Given the mixed findings of previous research, we replicated this study to validate and extend their results. Twenty-one subjects participated in a repeated measures design using the same no-task paradigm as Sharon et al. (2020). Additionally, we extended the analysis to explore indicators of LC-NA activity in the EEG time domain. We compared EEG activity between sham (earlobe) and stimulation (cymba conchae) conditions. Our analysis found significantly less alpha activity during taVNS compared to sham stimulation. This confirms the finding of Sharon et al. (2020) - taVNS attenuates alpha oscillations. However, we found no differences in ERPs between conditions. This was likely due to methodological limitations that make the design inappropriate for ERP research. Our results support an effect of taVNS on phasic LC-NA activity, but the effect on tonic LC-NA remains unknown. This is discussed from the perspective of using taVNS as an intervention for disorders such as ADHD. Based on our exploratory analysis and literature findings, recommendations are made for future research.Show less

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The Effect of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation on The Locus Coreulus – Noradrenaline System