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Enhancing cognitive abilities through transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation: Findings from prefrontal
Sora An1, Se Jin Oh2, Shinhee Noh2
1Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Neuroimage
|March 30, 2025
Summary
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) may improve working memory in older adults with lower baseline performance. Personalized taVNS strategies are crucial, as effects vary with individual brain network states.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Cognitive decline is a growing concern in aging populations.
- Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) shows promise for cognitive enhancement.
- Understanding the neural mechanisms of taVNS is essential for optimizing its application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically analyze the effects of taVNS on cognitive enhancement.
- To investigate the role of brain networks, specifically prefrontal cortex functional connectivity (FC), in mediating taVNS effects.
- To explore the influence of individual baseline brain states on taVNS efficacy using virtual brain simulations.
Main Methods:
- Combined functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) signal analysis with virtual brain simulations.
- Conducted behavioral experiments with older adults assessing working memory performance.
- Measured functional connectivity (FC) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during cognitive tasks.
Main Results:
- Older adults with low baseline working memory showed significant improvement after taVNS.
- Those with high baseline performance experienced a decline in working memory.
- taVNS-induced performance changes correlated with functional connectivity alterations in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC).
- Virtual brain simulations indicated that taVNS effects are dependent on pre-existing network coupling and functional states.
Conclusions:
- The efficacy of taVNS for cognitive enhancement is individualized, depending on pre-intervention brain structure and function.
- Personalized optimization strategies for taVNS interventions are necessary.
- Digital brain research offers a promising avenue for advancing personalized taVNS therapies.
Keywords:
Cognitive agingCognitive enhancementFunctional near-infrared spectroscopyTranscutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulationVirtual brain simulationMore Related Videos
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