BOLD fMRI deactivation of limbic and temporal brain structures and mood enhancing effect by transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation
BOLD fMRI deactivation of limbic and temporal brain structures and mood enhancing effect by transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation
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DOI：
10.1007/s00702-007-0755-z
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发表时间：
2007-11-01
影响因子：
3.3
通讯作者：
Forster, C.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Kraus, T.;Hoesl, K.;Forster, C.
迷走神经直接刺激(VNS)已被证明是治疗癫痫和抑郁症的有效方法。然而，由于这种有创技术需要手术，副作用和相对较高的经济成本，非侵入性方法刺激迷走神经传入将是一大进步。我们研究了无创电刺激健康受试者(n=22)左侧外耳道神经的作用，目的是经皮激活迷走神经传入。采用功能磁共振成像(FMRI)和形容词心境量表(AMS)对t-VNS诱发的脑激活和主观幸福感的短期变化进行研究。刺激耳垂作为假对照。fMRI显示，强直的t-VNS导致边缘脑区的BOLD信号减少，包括杏仁核、海马区、海马旁回和颞中上回。脑岛、中央前回和丘脑的激活增强。心理测量学评估显示t-VNS术后幸福感显著改善。耳垂刺激作为一种假对照干预，在功能磁共振成像或心理测量评估中都没有显示出类似的效果。结论刺激过程对心率、血压及外周微循环无明显影响。我们的研究表明，经皮神经刺激在健康受试者的左耳道是可行的和有益的。大脑激活模式与侵入性迷走神经刺激时观察到的变化有明显的共同特征。
Direct vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has proved to be an effective treatment for seizure disorder and major depression. However, since this invasive technique implies surgery, with its side-effects and relatively high financial costs, a non-invasive method to stimulate vagal afferences would be a great step forward. We studied effects of non-invasive electrical stimulation of the nerves in the left outer auditory canal in healthy subjects (n = 22), aiming to activate vagal afferences transcutaneously (t-VNS). Short-term changes in brain activation and subjective well-being induced by t-VNS were investigated by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and psychometric assessment using the Adjective Mood Scale (AMS), a self-rating scale for current subjective feeling. Stimulation of the ear lobe served as a sham control.fMRI showed that robust t-VNS induced BOLD-signal decreases in limbic brain areas, including the amygdala, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus and the middle and superior temporal gyrus. Increased activation was seen in the insula, precentral gyrus and the thalamus. Psychometric assessment revealed significant improvement of well-being after t-VNS. Ear lobe stimulation as a sham control intervention did not show similar effects in either fMRI or psychometric assessment. No significant effects on heart rate, blood pressure or peripheral microcirculation could be detected during the stimulation procedure.Conclusions. Our study shows the feasibility and beneficial effects of transcutaneous nerve stimulation in the left auditory canal of healthy subjects. Brain activation patterns clearly share features with changes observed during invasive vagus nerve stimulation.