Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation in epilepsy patients enhances cooperative behavior in the prisoner’s dilemma task

Oehrn, Carina R.; Molitor, Lena; Krause, Kristina; Niehaus, Hauke; Schmidt, Laura; Hakel, Lukas; Timmermann, Lars; Menzler, Katja; Knake, Susanne; Weber, Immo

doi:10.1038/s41598-022-14237-3

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…We therefore outline a study protocol for an experiment that is intended to preliminarily examine the separate and combined effects of tVNS and self-compassionate mental imagery on self-compassion, self-criticism and related outcomes (state mindfulness, positive affect and HRV). In some respects, this may appear to be a highrisk approach: the main variables of interest (self-compassion and self-criticism) are assessed using self-report measures rather than fine-grained computationally-derived metrics [40], or objective outcomes measured with millisecond precision [41], which might be more likely to detect weak signals. However, while small effects can have important mechanistic implications, their direct clinical or other applied relevance may be more limited.…”

Section: Experimentally Manipulating Vagal Activity To Determine Caus...mentioning

confidence: 99%

A bioelectronic route to compassion: Rationale and study protocol for combining transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) with compassionate mental imagery

Kamboj

Peniket²,

Simeonov³

2023

PLoS ONE

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Background The vagus nerve (VN) is a neural nexus between the brain and body, enabling bidirectional regulation of mental functioning and peripheral physiology. Some limited correlational findings suggest an association between VN activation and a particular form of self-regulation: compassionate responding. Interventions that are geared towards strengthening self-compassion in particular, can serve as an antidote to toxic shame and self-criticism and improve psychological health. Objective We describe a protocol for examining the role of VN activation on ‘state’ self-compassion, self-criticism, and related outcomes. By combining transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) with a brief imagery-based self-compassion intervention, we aim to preliminarily test additivity versus synergy between these distinct bottom-up and top-down methods for putatively regulating vagal activity. We also test whether the effects of VN stimulation accumulate with daily stimulation and daily compassionate imagery practice. Methods Using a randomized 2 x 2 factorial (stimulation x imagery condition) design, healthy volunteers (n = 120) receive active (tragus) or sham (earlobe) tVNS plus standardized (audio-recorded) self-compassionate or sham mental imagery instructions. These interventions are delivered in a university-based psychological laboratory in two sessions, one week apart, as well as being self-administered between sessions by participants at home. Pre-stimulation, peri-stimulation and post-imagery measures of state self-compassion, self-criticism and related self-report outcomes are assessed in two lab sessions, separated by a week (Days 1 and 8). Heart rate variability is used as a physiological metric of vagal activity and an eye-tracking task assesses attentional bias to compassionate faces during the two lab sessions. On Days 2–7, participants continue their randomly assigned stimulation and imagery tasks at home, and complete state measures at the end of each remote session. Discussion Demonstrating modulation of compassionate responding using tVNS would support a causal link between VN activation and compassion. This would provide a basis for future studies of bioelectronic approaches to augmenting therapeutic contemplative techniques. Clinical trials registration ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT05441774 (Date: July 1st 2022). OSF registration https://osf.io/4t9ha.

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Section: Experimentally Manipulating Vagal Activity To Determine Caus...mentioning

confidence: 99%

A bioelectronic route to compassion: Rationale and study protocol for combining transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) with compassionate mental imagery

Kamboj

Peniket²,

Simeonov³

2023

PLoS ONE

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“…57 So far, several reports have shown the effects of noninvasive VNS at improving functions such as motor function following stroke, control of seizures in epilepsy, cognitive function, and acute respiratory distress syndrome in Covid-19. 52,53,[65][66][67][68][69] The aim of this article is to present the putative role of non-invasive VNS in cancer pathology and immunotherapy.…”

Section: Vagus Nerve Stimulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Putative role of non‐invasive vagus nerve stimulation in cancer pathology and immunotherapy: Can this be a hidden treasure, especially for the elderly?

Abdullahi,

Wong,

2023

Cancer Medicine

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Cancer is globally a disease of significant public health concern owing to its prevalence, and association with morbidity and mortality. Thus, cost‐effective treatments for cancer are important to help reduce its significant morbidity and mortality. However, the current therapeutic options for cancer such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery may produce serious adverse events such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and peripheral neuropathy, especially in the long term. In addition, these therapeutic options may not be well tolerated by the elderly especially those who are frail. The current article is aimed at discussing an alternative therapeutic option, non‐invasive vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), and the roles it plays in cancer pathology and immunotherapy. The VNS does this by reducing oxidative stress via silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1); inhibiting inflammation via both hypothalamic–pituitary–axis (HPA) and the release of corticosteroid from the adrenal gland, and cholinergic anti‐inflammatory pathway (CAP), and increasing vagal activity which helps in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and metabolism, and increase chance of survival. Furthermore, it helps with reducing complications due to cancer or its treatments such as postoperative ileus and severity of peripheral neuropathy induced by chemotherapy, and improves cancer‐related fatigue, lymphopenia, and quality of life. These suggest that the importance of non‐invasive VNS in cancer pathology and immunotherapy cannot be overemphasized. Therefore, considering the safety of non‐invasive VNS and its cost‐effectiveness, it is a therapeutic option worth trying for these patients, especially in combination with other therapies.

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“…Laboratory experiments have also reported positive effects of taVNS on cognitive functions, including cognitive control, emotion recognition, associative memory and cooperation [8][9][10][11]. However, the impact of these relatively brief laboratory taVNS experiments has been limited, for lack of evidence of a plausible mechanism of action.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Lucchi

Lloyd

Nieuwenhuis

2023

Preprint

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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.

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Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation in epilepsy patients enhances cooperative behavior in the prisoner’s dilemma task

Cited by 9 publications

References 57 publications

A bioelectronic route to compassion: Rationale and study protocol for combining transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) with compassionate mental imagery

A bioelectronic route to compassion: Rationale and study protocol for combining transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) with compassionate mental imagery

Putative role of non‐invasive vagus nerve stimulation in cancer pathology and immunotherapy: Can this be a hidden treasure, especially for the elderly?

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

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