The selective dynamics of proactive and reactive control in GAD: A taVNS study using hierarchical drift diffusion...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Anxiety is associated with altered cognitive control, specifically reduced proactive maintenance and increased reactive engagement.
• Neuromodulation studies often assume a uniform improvement in cognitive control, which may not accurately reflect its complex nature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether acute transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) induces global or context-dependent changes in cognitive control.
• To examine the effects of taVNS on proactive and reactive control mechanisms in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder.

Main Methods:

• A within-subject, single-blind, counterbalanced study involving 31 individuals with generalized anxiety disorder.
• Participants underwent active and sham taVNS, performing the AX Continuous Performance Task to assess cognitive control.
• Analysis included conventional behavioral indices and hierarchical drift diffusion modeling.

Main Results:

• Standard behavioral measures and drift diffusion modeling revealed subtle and uncertain effects of taVNS on cognitive control.
• A non-significant trend suggested taVNS might preserve decision caution (boundary separation) in specific trial types (AY trials) compared to sham stimulation.
• Sensitivity analyses confirmed the trend but did not resolve the uncertainty surrounding the findings.

Conclusions:

• The study did not find robust evidence for taVNS enhancing cognitive control in generalized anxiety disorder.
• Limited preliminary data suggest a potential context-dependent role for taVNS in preserving decision gating, warranting further investigation.