Open‐label pilot study: Non‐invasive vagal nerve stimulation improves symptoms and gastric emptying in patients with idiopathic gastroparesis

Introduction The mechanism of action of non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation in the treatment of migraine is elusive. We studied its effect in a human model of pain, the nociceptive withdrawal reflex. Methods We enrolled 10 healthy subjects who underwent active non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation and sham treatment in a randomized, cross-over, sham-controlled study. Non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation was delivered with gammaCore®. The assessment of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex was performed at baseline (T0) and at 5 (T5) and 30 (T30) minutes after stimulation. Results Non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation significantly increased the reflex threshold to single stimulus at both T5 and T30 and the temporal summation threshold at T30. Sham treatment did not modify any parameters. Discussion These findings are consistent with a modulation of central descending pathways for pain control. An altered spinal and supraspinal control of pain has been described in primary headache, so this effect may partially explain the therapeutic effect of non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation.

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Vagal nerve stimulation as a possible non-invasive treatment for chronic widespread pain in Gulf Veterans with Gulf War Illness

Life Sciences ◽

10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119805 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 119805

Author(s):

Benjamin H. Natelson ◽

Aaron J. Stegner ◽

Gudrun Lange ◽

Sarah Khan ◽

Michelle Blate ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nerve Stimulation ◽

Chronic Widespread Pain ◽

Gulf War ◽

Vagal Nerve ◽

Vagal Nerve Stimulation ◽

Widespread Pain ◽

Gulf War Illness ◽

Invasive Treatment ◽

Non Invasive

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The Effect of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagal Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) on P3 Event-Related Potentials during a Bayesian Oddball Task

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci10060404 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 404 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Claire V. Warren ◽

María J. Maraver ◽

Alberto de Luca ◽

Bruno Kopp

Keyword(s):

Nerve Stimulation ◽

Event Related Potentials ◽

Vagal Nerve ◽

Event Related Potential ◽

Vagal Nerve Stimulation ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Oddball Task ◽

Related Potentials ◽

Stimulation Technique

Transcutaneous auricular Vagal Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique associated with possible modulation of norepinephrinergic (NE) activity. NE is suspected to contribute to generation of the P3 event-related potential. Recent evidence has produced equivocal evidence whether taVNS influences the P3 in healthy individuals during oddball tasks. We examined the effect of taVNS on P3 amplitudes using a novel visual Bayesian oddball task, which presented 200 sequences of three stimuli. The three consecutive stimuli in each sequence are labelled Draw 1, Draw 2 and Draw 3. In total, 47 Subjects completed this visual Bayesian oddball task under randomised sham and active taVNS stimulation in parallel with an electroencephalographic (EEG) recording. We conducted exploratory analyses of the effect of taVNS on P3 amplitudes separately for Draws. We found typical oddball effects on P3 amplitudes at Draws 1 and 2, but not Draw 3. At Draw 2, the oddball effect was enhanced during active compared to sham taVNS stimulation. These data provide evidence that taVNS influences parietal P3 amplitudes under specific circumstances. Only P3 amplitudes at Draw 2 were affected, which may relate to closure of Bayesian inference after Draw 2. Our findings seemingly support previously reported links between taVNS and the NE system.

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Ultrasonic vagal nerve assessment during vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) in children, a pilot study

European Journal of Paediatric Neurology ◽

10.1016/j.ejpn.2017.04.804 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 21 ◽

pp. e35

Author(s):

R.J. Verbeek ◽

J.H. van der Hoeven ◽

O.F. Brouwer ◽

D.A. Sival

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Nerve Stimulation ◽

Vagal Nerve ◽

Vagal Nerve Stimulation

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Partial Response of Intractable Cluster-Tic Syndrome Treated by Cervical Non-Invasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation (nVNS)

Brain Stimulation ◽

10.1016/j.brs.2015.01.002 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 669-671 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Thomas M. Kinfe ◽

Bogdan Pintea ◽

Erdem Güresir ◽

Hartmut Vatter

Keyword(s):

Partial Response ◽

Nerve Stimulation ◽

Vagal Nerve ◽

Vagal Nerve Stimulation ◽

Non Invasive

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Cerebral Hemodynamic Correlates of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagal Nerve Stimulation in Consciousness Restoration: An Open-Label Pilot Study

Frontiers in Neurology ◽

10.3389/fneur.2021.684791 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Yutian Yu ◽

Yi Yang ◽

Shuoqiu Gan ◽

Shengnan Guo ◽

Jiliang Fang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nerve Stimulation ◽

Arterial Spin Labeling ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Vagal Nerve ◽

Vagal Nerve Stimulation ◽

Auditory Stimuli ◽

Open Label ◽

Cerebral Hemodynamic ◽

Before And After ◽

Key Factor

This study aimed to preliminarily illustrate the cerebral hemodynamic correlates of transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS) in consciousness restoration. Arterial spin labeling (ASL) was adopted with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes before and after taVNS in 10 qualified patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC). Before taVNS, five patients responded to auditory stimuli (RtAS), and five did not respond to auditory stimuli (nRtAS). The RtAS DOC patients obtained favorable prognoses after the 4-week taVNS treatment, whereas the nRtAS ones did not. Simultaneously, taVNS increased CBF of multiple brain regions in the RtAS DOC patients, but hardly in the nRtAS ones. In conclusion, the preserved auditory function might be the prior key factor of the taVNS responders in DOC patients, and taVNS might alleviate RtAS DOC by activating the salience network, the limbic system, and the interoceptive system.

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