Short-term transcutaneous trigeminal nerve stimulation does not affect visual oddball task and paired-click paradigm ERP responses in healthy volunteers

Mercante, Beniamina; Enrico, Paolo; Ginatempo, Francesca; Loi, Nicola; Deriu, Franca

doi:10.1007/s00221-022-06525-1

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…This approach seems particularly relevant since many ERP components have been operationally related to several specific neurocognitive processes [ 86 , 87 ], including attention, working memory, and decision-making [ 88 , 89 , 90 ]. Both studies used short-term TNS administration but, interestingly, one study [ 91 ] used bilateral transcutaneous stimulation of the trigeminal motor branches (over the masseter belly, incisura sigmoidea), while in the other [ 92 ], the IoN sensitive branch was bilaterally stimulated.…”

Section: How Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation May Affect Cognitive Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The second study focused on several major ERP components recorded during the administration of a simple visual oddball task (P200 and P300), and a paired-click paradigm (P50, N100, and P200), to investigate in healthy subjects the possible mechanism(s) of action of TNS related to high-level neurocognitive processes [ 92 ]. These paradigms are largely used to study information processing and cognitive brain functions [ 90 , 94 ], which are modulated by multiple brain systems and, in particular, by the LC and the reticular formation [ 95 , 96 ], both targeted by TNS [ 61 ].…”

Section: How Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation May Affect Cognitive Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cognitive Functions following Trigeminal Neuromodulation

Mercante,

Enrico,

Deriu

2023

Biomedicines

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Vast scientific effort in recent years have been focused on the search for effective and safe treatments for cognitive decline. In this regard, non-invasive neuromodulation has gained increasing attention for its reported effectiveness in promoting the recovery of multiple cognitive domains after central nervous system damage. In this short review, we discuss the available evidence supporting a possible cognitive effect of trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS). In particular, we ask that, while TNS has been widely and successfully used in the treatment of various neuropsychiatric conditions, as far as research in the cognitive field is concerned, where does TNS stand? The trigeminal nerve is the largest cranial nerve, conveying the sensory information from the face to the trigeminal sensory nuclei, and from there to the thalamus and up to the somatosensory cortex. On these bases, a bottom-up mechanism has been proposed, positing that TNS-induced modulation of the brainstem noradrenergic system may affect the function of the brain networks involved in cognition. Nevertheless, despite the promising theories, to date, the use of TNS for cognitive empowering and/or cognitive decline treatment has several challenges ahead of it, mainly due to little uniformity of the stimulation protocols. However, as the field continues to grow, standardization of practice will allow for data comparisons across studies, leading to optimized protocols targeting specific brain circuitries, which may, in turn, influence cognition in a designed manner.

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Section: How Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation May Affect Cognitive Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: How Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation May Affect Cognitive Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive Functions following Trigeminal Neuromodulation

Mercante,

Enrico,

Deriu

2023

Biomedicines

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“…This procedure may therefore improve cognitive performance, but the evidence for such effect is scant [ 1 ]. Recent studies addressing TNS effects on cognitive event-related potentials elicited by an oddball task have provided conflicting results [ 6 , 7 ], likely due to differences in the sensory stimulus (acoustic/visual) and/or the stimulated trigeminal branch (ophthalmic/mandibular). This is not the case with trigeminal stimulation that occurs during chewing activity, which is based on both motor and sensory signals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trigeminal Stimulation and Visuospatial Performance: The Struggle between Chewing and Trigeminal Asymmetries

Tramonti Fantozzi,

De Cicco,

d’Ascanio

et al. 2023

Biomedicines

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Chewing improves visuospatial performance through locus coeruleus (LC) activation. The effects of bilateral and unilateral mastication were investigated in subjects showing different degrees of asymmetry in masseter electromyographic (EMG) activity during clenching and in pupil size at rest (anisocoria), which is a proxy of LC imbalance. Correlations between performance changes and asymmetry values were found in males, but not in females. Among males, subjects with low asymmetry values (balanced-BAL) were more sensitive than those with high asymmetry values (imbalanced-IMB) to bilateral and unilateral chewing on the side with higher EMG activity (hypertonic). The opposite was true for hypotonic side chewing. BAL subjects were sensitive to unilateral chewing on both sides, while in IMB subjects, hypertonic side chewing did not influence performance in either males or females. Bilateral chewing elicited larger effects in BAL subjects than in IMB subjects, exceeding the values predicted from unilateral chewing in both groups. Finally, pupil size and anisocoria changes elicited by chewing were correlated with asymmetry values, independent of sex. Data confirmed the facilitation of visuospatial performance exerted by chewing. Trigeminal asymmetries modulate the chewing effects, making occlusal rebalancing an appropriate strategy to improve performance.

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