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

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.

Transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation inhibits P2X7R expression in limbic brain regions and reverses depression-like behavior in Zucker diabetic fatty rats

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yutian Yu ◽  
Xun He ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Jinling Zhang ◽  
Chunzhi Tang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Rodent Model ◽  
Vagal Nerve ◽  
Vagal Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Depressive Effect ◽  
Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats ◽  
Zdf Rats

Abstract Background Previous studies confirmed that Zucker diabetic fatty rats (ZDF, fa/fa) develop type 2 diabetes (T2D) with depression-like behavior innately, and transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS) was found to have anti-diabetic and anti-depressive effect in ZDF rats. However, there is still a lack of molecular-biological evidence that ZDF rats are a good rodent model of depression, and how does taVNS take the anti-depressive effect to the ZDF rats. P2 × 7R, a purinergic receptor most-related to inflammation and depression, is found to be elevated in depressed brains and is gradually considered as a potential therapeutic target for depression. Methods We deployed taVNS and transcutaneous none vagal nerve stimulation (tnVNS) to ZDF rats. We applied forced swimming test (FST) to evaluate to the depression-like behavior of the rats. We used Western blot to test the P2 × 7R expression in the hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and cingulate cortex of the rats. Furthermore, we used immunohistochemical staining to colocalize the P2 × 7R expressing cells in the ZDF rats’ brains. Results We found that compared with their lean littermates (ZL rats), naïve ZDF rats developed depression-like behavior innately with elevated P2 × 7R expression in their limbic brain regions (hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and cingulate cortex); and taVNS but not tnVNS inhibited the P2 × 7R expression in their limbic brain regions and reversed the depression-like behavior. Moreover, P2 × 7R was found majorly expressing in astrocytes and microglia of ZDF rats. Conclusions ZDF rats are a good rodent model of depression, and taVNS plays an anti-depressive effect in ZDF rats by inhibiting glial P2 × 7R expression in their limbic brain regions.

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

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andres Gottfried‐Blackmore ◽  
Emerald P. Adler ◽  
Nielsen Fernandez‐Becker ◽  
John Clarke ◽  
Aida Habtezion ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Emptying ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Vagal Nerve ◽  
Vagal Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Idiopathic Gastroparesis

Benefit of vagal nerve stimulation in epilepsia partialis continua: a case report

2006 ◽  
Vol 37 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Bussmann ◽  
HM Meinck ◽  
HH Steiner ◽  
W Broxtermann ◽  
CG Bien ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Report ◽  
Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Vagal Nerve ◽  
Vagal Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Epilepsia Partialis Continua

scholarly journals MR-guided focused ultrasound liquid biopsy enriches circulating biomarkers in patients with brain tumors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Meng ◽  
Christopher B Pople ◽  
Suganth Suppiah ◽  
Maheleth Llinas ◽  
Yuexi Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Biopsy ◽  
Focused Ultrasound ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 1 ◽  
Serious Adverse Events ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Bbb Opening

Abstract Background Liquid biopsy is promising for early detection, monitoring of response and recurrence of cancer. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) limits the shedding of biomarker, such as cell-free DNA (cfDNA), into the blood, and their detection by conventional assays. Transcranial MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) can safely and transiently open the BBB, providing an opportunity for less-invasive access to brain pathology. We hypothesized MRgFUS can enrich the signal of circulating brain-derived biomarkers to aid in liquid biopsy. Methods Nine patients were treated in a prospective single-arm, open-label trial to investigate serial MRgFUS and adjuvant temozolomide combination in patients with glioblastoma (NCT03616860). Blood samples were collected as an exploratory measure within the hours before and after sonication, with control samples from non-brain tumor patients undergoing BBB opening alone (NCT03739905). Results Brain regions averaging 7.8±6.0 cm 3 (range 0.8–23.1 cm 3) were successful treated within 111±39 minutes without any serious adverse events. We found MRgFUS acutely enhanced plasma cfDNA (2.6±1.2 fold, p<0.01, Wilcoxon signed-rank test), neuron-derived extracellular vesicles (3.2±1.9 fold, p<0.01), and brain specific protein S100b (1.4±0.2 fold, p<0.01). Further comparison of the cfDNA methylation profiles suggests a signature that is disease and post-BBB opening specific, in keeping with our hypothesis. We also found cfDNA mutant copies of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) increased, although this was in only one patient known to harbour the tumor mutation. Conclusions This first-in-human proof-of concept study shows MRgFUS enriches the signal of circulating brain-derived biomarkers, demonstrating the potential of the technology to support liquid biopsy for the brain.

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