Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) decreases heart rate acutely in neonatal rats

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is an exciting non-invasive extension of traditional invasive cervical VNS. However, it is still unclear what vagus fibers taVNS engages and whether taVNS has measurable effects in reducing heart rate (HR) to assess parasympathetic nervous system activation. Ongoing research and clinical applications pairing VNS with activities promoting learning and stroke recovery are promising [1]. taVNS has also been used in newborns with hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury and may improve their oromotor coordination during feeding [2].

Source: BRAIN STIMULATION: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation - August 21, 2023 Category: Neurology Authors: Melanie W. Gail, Catrina Sims-Robinson, Heather Boger, Adviye Ergul, Rupak Mukherjee, Dorothea D. Jenkins, Mark S. George Source Type: research