Transcutaneous Cervical Vagus Nerve Stimulation Modulates Prefrontal Cortex Activity During Opioid Withdrawal in...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Addiction Medicine
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Opioid use disorder (OUD) presents significant health challenges with limited treatment options.
• Understanding brain responses to treatment is crucial for developing new therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation (tcVNS) on brain activity in response to opioid cues among individuals with OUD undergoing withdrawal.
• To evaluate tcVNS as a potential intervention for OUD.

Main Methods:

• Positron emission tomography (PET) with radiolabeled water was used for brain imaging.
• Participants with OUD in early recovery received either active tcVNS or a sham device.
• Brain imaging was performed during exposure to opioid-use-related cues.

Main Results:

• Active tcVNS led to increased neural activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), dorsal ACC, and left inferior frontal gyrus during cue exposure.
• A trend of heightened activation was observed in the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex.

Conclusions:

• tcVNS demonstrated the ability to modulate key brain regions associated with opioid addiction.
• These findings suggest that tcVNS could serve as a valuable adjunctive therapy for managing OUD.