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Vagus Nerve Stimulation Delivered During Motor Rehabilitation Improves Recovery in a Rat Model of Stroke
Neural plasticity is widely believed to support functional recovery following brain damage. Vagus nerve stimulation paired with different forelimb movements causes long-lasting map plasticity in rat primary motor cortex that is specific to the paired movement. We tested the hypothesis that repeatedly pairing vagus nerve stimulation with upper forelimb movements would improve recovery of motor function in a rat model of stroke. Rats were separated into 3 groups: vagus nerve stimulation during rehabilitation (rehab), vagus nerve stimulation after rehab, and rehab alone. Animals underwent 4 training stages: shaping (motor ski...
Source: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair - August 13, 2014 Category: Neurology Authors: Khodaparast, N., Hays, S. A., Sloan, A. M., Fayyaz, T., Hulsey, D. R., Rennaker, R. L., Kilgard, M. P. Tags: Basic Research Articles Source Type: research

Development of Closed-loop Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) as a Neurorehabilitation Tool
Background: Motor rehabilitation training is considered the optimal method in reducing motor impairments in patients with brain injury. Noninvasive brain stimulation has recently demonstrated promise as a potential adjunct to enhance the outcomes of conventional post-stroke motor rehabilitation. Specifically, transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) paired with oromotor therapy to learn feeding behavior (Badran Jenkins, 2018) has emerged as a novel therapeutic avenue. Synchronization of taVNS with the specific motor behavior is believed to be critical to patient outcomes.
Source: BRAIN STIMULATION: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation - January 22, 2019 Category: Neurology Authors: B. Badran, D. Jenkins, W. DeVries, M. Dancy, D. Cook, G. Mappin, M. George Source Type: research

Vagus nerve stimulation enhances fear extinction as an inverted-U function of stimulation intensity
Exp Neurol. 2021 Apr 9:113718. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113718. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTStudies in rodents indicate that pairing vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) with extinction training enhances fear extinction. However, the role of stimulation parameters on the effects of VNS remains largely unknown. Identifying the optimal stimulation intensity is a critical step in clinical translation of neuromodulation-based therapies. Here, we sought to investigate the role of stimulation intensity in rats receiving VNS paired with extinction training in a rat model for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Male Sprague-Dawl...
Source: Experimental Neurology - April 12, 2021 Category: Neurology Authors: Rimenez R Souza Nicole M Robertson Christa K McIntyre Robert L Rennaker Seth A Hays Michael P Kilgard Source Type: research

Vagus Nerve Stimulation Promotes Motor Learning in Animal Model: A Potential Method for Post-Stroke Recovery
No abstract available
Source: Neurology Today - September 15, 2022 Category: Neurology Tags: At the Bench Source Type: research

How to fail with paired VNS therapy
We present a discussion of the concepts that underlie VNS therapy and an anthology of studies that describe conditions in which these concepts are violated and VNS fails.
Source: BRAIN STIMULATION: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation - August 16, 2023 Category: Neurology Authors: Seth A. Hays, Robert L. Rennaker, Michael P. Kilgard Source Type: research

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