Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation via tragus or cymba conchae: Are its psychophysiological effects dependent on the stimulation area?

Borges, Uirassu; Pfannenstiel, Marie; Tsukahara, Jason S.; Laborde, Sylvain; Klatt, Stefanie; Raab, Markus

doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.01.003

Cited by 35 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…Hence, more research is warranted to determine optimal sham methods that mimic the sensations of active taVNS without actually stimulating the vagus nerve. Especially since the use of earlobe stimulation as a sham method has recently been under debate (Borges et al, 2021;Rangon, 2018). Fourth, an important limitation to the current study is the lack of direct evidence for an increased vagal activity following taVNS.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Indeed, subject reports have demonstrated significant differences in the sensations associated with stimulation of the cymba conchae and the earlobe, with higher stimulation intensities being tolerated for earlobe (i.e., sham) stimulation (Keute, Ruhnau, Heinze, & Zaehle, 2018). Moreover, studies employing similar methods to define stimulation intensity, have also reported significant differences between stimulation intensities for sham (earlobe) and left cymba conchae stimulation (e.g., Borges et al, 2021;although see also, 2019;Fischer et al, 2018;Ventura-Bort et al, 2018). Such differences can potentially have confounded the study results given that, for instance, participants' expectations might have been biased by higher intensities resulting in larger sham (i.e., placebo) responses.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation enhances cognitive emotion regulation

Smet

Baeken

Seminck

et al. 2021

Behaviour Research and Therapy

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation enhances cognitive emotion regulation

Smet

Baeken

Seminck

et al. 2021

Behaviour Research and Therapy

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“…Certainly, smartphone applications can overcome many of the barriers that may have prevented in-person interventions from taking place, such as the current social and travel restrictionsas well associal distancing rules. Of the many methods to enhance CVA (Fatisson and Oswald, 2016;Laborde et al, 2018a), for instance transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (Borges et al, 2019(Borges et al, , 2020(Borges et al, , 2021, or meditation with mindfulness training (Garland et al, 2014), SPB offers a simple, easy-to-implement, and beneficial intervention technique with both psychological and physiological outcomes for athletes that can be delivered in lockdown or isolation scenarios.…”

Section: Considerations For Slow-paced Breathing Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Slow-Paced Breathing to Foster Endurance, Well-Being, and Sleep Quality in Athletes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

et al. 2021

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been causing major disruptions in the sporting world. Negative physiological and psychological effects on athletes have been reported, such as respiratory issues and increased stress. Therefore, it is timely to support this population by presenting cost-effective and accessible intervention techniques to reduce this impact. Slow-paced breathing (SPB) has the potential to counteract many of the detrimental effects of COVID-19 that can directly affect sports performance. In this article, we present and justify the use of SPB in athletes by focusing on three key outcomes, namely aerobic endurance performance, emotional well-being, and sleep quality. We examine the physiological mechanisms that underpin these three outcomes and review literature showing that SPB can activate anti-inflammatory pathways, increase lung capacity and, in turn, improve aerobic endurance, emotional well-being, and sleep quality. We conclude that interventions using SPB can have preventive and rehabilitative properties for athletes. Future studies should empirically test the potential of SPB to help this specific population.

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“…Given SPB has been shown to improve both CVA and executive functioning in athletes [ 55 , 57 , 59 ], it appears to be a promising technique for the applied field. Despite the existence of other techniques which stimulate the vagus nerve without requiring the active attention of the individual, such as transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation [ 98 , 99 , 100 ], the advantage of SPB is that it does not require any device, representing a suitable low-cost, low-technology, and non-pharmacological way to stimulate the vagus nerve.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emotional Intelligence Training: Influence of a Brief Slow-Paced Breathing Exercise on Psychophysiological Variables Linked to Emotion Regulation

You

Laborde

Zammit

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Designing emotional intelligence training programs requires first testing the effectiveness of techniques targeting its main dimensions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a brief slow-paced breathing (SPB) exercise on psychophysiological variables linked to emotion regulation, namely cardiac vagal activity (CVA), as well as perceived stress intensity, emotional arousal, and emotional valence. A total of 61 participants completed a 5-min SPB exercise and a control condition of a 5-min rest measurement. CVA was indexed with the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD). Participants were also asked to rate their perceived stress intensity, emotional arousal, and emotional valence. Results showed that CVA was higher during SPB in comparison to the control condition. Contrary to our hypothesis, perceived stress intensity and emotional arousal increased after SPB, and perceived emotional valence was less positive after SPB. This could be explained by experiencing dyspnea (i.e., breathing discomfort), and the need to get acclimatized to SPB. Consequently, we may conclude that although physiological benefits of SPB on CVA are immediate, training may be required in order to perceive psychological benefits.

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Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation via tragus or cymba conchae: Are its psychophysiological effects dependent on the stimulation area?

Cited by 35 publications

References 73 publications

Non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation enhances cognitive emotion regulation

Non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation enhances cognitive emotion regulation

Using Slow-Paced Breathing to Foster Endurance, Well-Being, and Sleep Quality in Athletes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Emotional Intelligence Training: Influence of a Brief Slow-Paced Breathing Exercise on Psychophysiological Variables Linked to Emotion Regulation

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