Short bursts of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation enhance evoked pupil dilation as a function of stimulation parameters

D’Agostini, Martina; Burger, Alan E.; Franssen, Mathijs; Perkovic, Ana; Claes, Stephan; Leupoldt, Andreas von; Murphy, Peter R.; Diest, Ilse Van

doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2022.11.012

Cited by 29 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 81 publications

(137 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Low stimulation intensities may not be capable of activating the vagus nerve afferent fibers near the ear [45]. Indeed, two taVNS studies found parametric effects of stimulation intensity on pupil dilation, which nicely scaled with pulse amplitude [43,46]. These findings, together with evidence from rodents [26], suggest that stronger intensities are more likely to engage the vagus nerve and induce pupil dilation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short-term transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation increases pupil size but does not affect EEG alpha power: a replication

Lloyd

Wurm

Kleijn

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a promising brain stimulation method for the treatment of pharmaco-resistant epilepsy and depression. Its clinical efficacy is thought to depend on taVNS-induced activation of the locus coeruleus. However, unlike for invasive VNS, there is little evidence for an effect of taVNS on noradrenergic activity. Objective: We attempted to replicate recently published findings by Sharon et al. (2021), showing that short bursts of taVNS transiently increased pupil size and decreased EEG alpha power, two correlates of central noradrenergic activity. Methods: Following the original study, we used a single-blind, sham-controlled, randomized cross-over design. We applied short-term (3.4 s) taVNS in healthy human volunteers (n=29), while collecting resting-state pupil-size and EEG data. To analyze the data, we used scripts provided by Sharon and colleagues. Results: Consistent with Sharon et al. (2021), pupil dilation was significantly larger during taVNS than during sham stimulation (p = .009; Bayes factor supporting the difference = 7.45). However, we failed to replicate the effect of taVNS on EEG alpha power (p = .37); the data were four times more likely under the null hypothesis (BF10 = 0.28). Conclusion: Our findings support the effectiveness of short-term taVNS in inducing transient pupil dilation, a correlate of phasic noradrenergic activity. However, we failed to replicate the recent finding by Sharon et al. (2021) that taVNS attenuates EEG alpha activity. Overall, this study highlights the need for continued research on the neural mechanisms underlying taVNS efficacy and its potential as a treatment option for pharmaco-resistant conditions. It also highlights the need for direct replications of influential taVNS studies.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short-term transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation increases pupil size but does not affect EEG alpha power: a replication

Lloyd

Wurm

Kleijn

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…'Invigoration' and 'vigor' are well-developed concepts that generally refer to the (inverse) latency to initiate and/or complete a response, and have long been known to depend on dopaminergic activity [36]. It remains to be determined to what extent the invigoration slope in the effort allocation task used here, which does not reflect the latency of a discrete response, corresponds with these concepts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the present work and another replication attempt [35], we find that even results of high-profile taVNS studies can be difficult to replicate. Parametric exploration of tVNS stimulation parameters [36,37] and demanding authors to report internal replications may help this nascent field of inquiry to overcome these challenges.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although this difference could potentially account for the discrepancy between our behavioral results, the limited available evidence suggests that female animals [22] and human participants [35] show larger effects of VNS than males, which is inconsistent with our null finding in a group of mainly female participants. ‘Invigoration’ and ‘vigor’ are well-developed concepts that generally refer to the (inverse) latency to initiate and/or complete a response, and have long been known to depend on dopaminergic activity [36]. It remains to be determined to what extent the invigoration slope in the effort allocation task used here, which does not reflect the latency of a discrete response, corresponds with these concepts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation and the motivation to work for rewards: a replication

Lucchi

Lloyd

Nieuwenhuis

2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: The vagus nerve is thought to be involved in the allostatic regulation of motivation and energy metabolism via gut-brain interactions. A recent study by Neuser and colleagues (2020) provided novel evidence for this process in humans, by reporting a positive effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on the invigoration of reward-seeking behaviors, especially for food rewards. Objective: We conducted an independent direct replication of Neuser et al. (2020), to assess the robustness of their findings. Methods: Following the original study, we used a single-blind, sham-controlled, randomized cross-over design. We applied left-sided taVNS in healthy human volunteers (n=40), while they performed an effort allocation task in which they had to work for monetary and food rewards. The replication study was purely confirmatory in that it strictly followed the analysis plans and scripts used by Neuser et al. (2020). Results: Although, in line with Neuser et al. (2020), we found strong effects of task variables on effort invigoration and effort maintenance, we failed to replicate their key finding: taVNS did not increase the strength of invigoration (p = .62); the data were five times more likely (BF10 = 0.19) under the null hypothesis. We also found substantial evidence against an effect of taVNS on effort maintenance (p = 0.50; BF10 = 0.20). Conclusions: Our results provide evidence against the idea that taVNS boosts the motivational drive to work for rewards. Our study also highlights the need for direct replications of influential taVNS studies.

show abstract

“…61 Additionally, the study noted that adjusting stimulation parameters can also modulate the intensity of LC activity, leading to enhanced pupil dilation and an increase in noradrenergic activity. 62 Although stimulation intensity and the activation of LC showed a positive correlation, this relationship did not translate to the best cognitive performance for human patients with epilepsy. 63 According to the study by Clark et al, only intermediate levels of stimulation were associated with optimal recognition memory performance, suggesting an inverted U-shaped function between stimulation intensity and cognitive performance.…”

Section: Neurobiological Affective and Cognitive Effects Of Atvnsmentioning

confidence: 92%

Regaining control over opioid use? The potential application of auricular transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation to improve opioid treatment in China

Colzato,

Elmers,

et al. 2023

Addiction Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a critical problem in China and is accompanied by depression and deficits in cognitive control. In China, the most successful intervention for OUD is the community drug rehabilitation where methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) plays a key role. Even though methadone for the treatment of OUD can be helpful, it can cause severe somatic side‐effects, which limit its effectivity. Even worse, it can have detrimental effects on cognitive control, which is crucial to regain control over drug intake. Here, we consider the potential use of auricular transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (atVNS) as an addition to MMT for opioid withdrawal treatment. Compared to other non‐invasive brain stimulation methods, atVNS also targets the locus coeruleus (LC) important for noradrenaline (NA) synthesis. NA is an essential neurotransmitter impacted in opioid withdrawal and also critically involved in cognitive control processes. Its ADD‐ON to MMT might be a useful mean to improve mood and enhance cognitive control processes impacted in OUD. We discuss the translational advantages of atVNS in China such as the cultural acceptance of the modality of treatment similar to electroacupuncture. Additionally, the wearability of the ear electrode and at‐home self‐administration without intense medical supervision makes of atVNS a useful tool to enhance clinical and cognitive outcomes especially in everyday life situation. We discuss how atVNS can be integrated in tele‐medical health approaches allowing that innovative treatments can widely be disseminated and continued even in situations of restricted medical access.

show abstract

Short bursts of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation enhance evoked pupil dilation as a function of stimulation parameters

Cited by 29 publications

References 81 publications

Short-term transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation increases pupil size but does not affect EEG alpha power: a replication

Short-term transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation increases pupil size but does not affect EEG alpha power: a replication

Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation and the motivation to work for rewards: a replication

Regaining control over opioid use? The potential application of auricular transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation to improve opioid treatment in China

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About