The following is a summary of “Modulatory effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on attentional processes,” published in the December 2023 issue of Psychiatry by Chen et al.
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation taVNS’s effect on attention varies, likely due to its influence on different attention functions. More research is needed to understand its full potential. Researchers conducted a retrospective study to investigate the potential of taVNS on various attentional functions.
They enrolled 59 healthy participants and randomly assigned them to the taVNS (20 min of taVNS) or control (30 sec of taVNS) groups. Both groups underwent a dot-probe task before and after the taVNS/control intervention. Recording behavioral performance and electroencephalographic signals during pre- and post-tests allowed extraction and analysis of various observed variables, facilitating the characterization of distinct attentional systems.
The results showed that applying active taVNS at the left ear significantly enhanced overall behavioral performance, specifically resulting in a reduced reaction time (RT) and lower intra-individual reaction time variability (IIRTV) for right-hand responses compared to the control condition. Furthermore, active taVNS led to increased amplitudes in P3 and movement-related cortical potential (MRCP) associated with right-hand reactions compared to the control condition. Active taVNS also lessened the discrepancy between pre- and post-tests in the power spectral density of spontaneous high-α band oscillations at the C4 electrode. Notably, in parallel mediation models for right-hand responses, the alteration in P3 amplitude was identified as mediating the effects of taVNS on RT and IIRTV. Conversely, the change in MRCP amplitude was found to suppress the impact of taVNS on IIRTV.
They concluded that taVNS enhanced both behavioral and neural markers of attention, indicating its potential for cognitive improvement.
Source: gpsych.bmj.com/content/36/6/e101176
