Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Improves Spatial Working Memory in Healthy Young Adults
Working memory (WM) is one of the core components of higher cognitive functions. There exists debate regarding the extent to which current techniques can enhance human WM capacity. Here, we examined the WM modulation effects of a previously less studied technique, transcutaneous auricular vagus nerv...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.790793/full |
| _version_ | 1819098046017830912 |
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| author | Jin-Bo Sun Jin-Bo Sun Chen Cheng Qian-Qian Tian Hang Yuan Xue-Juan Yang Xue-Juan Yang Hui Deng Hui Deng Xiao-Yu Guo Ya-Peng Cui Meng-Kai Zhang Zi-Xin Yin Cong Wang Wei Qin Wei Qin |
| author_facet | Jin-Bo Sun Jin-Bo Sun Chen Cheng Qian-Qian Tian Hang Yuan Xue-Juan Yang Xue-Juan Yang Hui Deng Hui Deng Xiao-Yu Guo Ya-Peng Cui Meng-Kai Zhang Zi-Xin Yin Cong Wang Wei Qin Wei Qin |
| author_sort | Jin-Bo Sun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Working memory (WM) is one of the core components of higher cognitive functions. There exists debate regarding the extent to which current techniques can enhance human WM capacity. Here, we examined the WM modulation effects of a previously less studied technique, transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS). In experiment 1, a within-subject study, we aimed to investigate whether and which stimulation protocols of taVNS can modulate spatial WM performance in healthy adults. Forty-eight participants performed baseline spatial n-back tasks (1, 3-back) and then received online taVNS, offline taVNS, or sham stimulation before or during (online group) the posttest of spatial n-back tasks in random order. Results showed that offline taVNS could significantly increase hits in spatial 3-back task, whereas no effect was found in online taVNS or sham group. No significant taVNS effects were found on correct rejections or reaction time of accurate trials (aRT) in both online and offline protocols. To replicate the results found in experiment 1 and further investigate the generalization effect of offline taVNS, we carried out experiment 2. Sixty participants were recruited and received offline taVNS or offline earlobe stimulation in random order between baseline and posttests of behavioral tests (spatial/digit 3-back tasks). Results replicated the findings; offline taVNS could improve hits but not correct rejections or aRT in spatial WM performance, which were found in experiment 1. However, there were no significant stimulation effects on digit 3-back task. Overall, the findings suggest that offline taVNS has potential on modulating WM performance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T00:24:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b4976f88e6864c84a3bc7cb9f438308f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-453X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T00:24:45Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-b4976f88e6864c84a3bc7cb9f438308f2022-12-21T18:45:05ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2021-12-011510.3389/fnins.2021.790793790793Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Improves Spatial Working Memory in Healthy Young AdultsJin-Bo Sun0Jin-Bo Sun1Chen Cheng2Qian-Qian Tian3Hang Yuan4Xue-Juan Yang5Xue-Juan Yang6Hui Deng7Hui Deng8Xiao-Yu Guo9Ya-Peng Cui10Meng-Kai Zhang11Zi-Xin Yin12Cong Wang13Wei Qin14Wei Qin15Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaIntelligent Non-invasive Neuromodulation Technology and Transformation Joint Laboratory, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaIntelligent Non-invasive Neuromodulation Technology and Transformation Joint Laboratory, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaIntelligent Non-invasive Neuromodulation Technology and Transformation Joint Laboratory, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaIntelligent Non-invasive Neuromodulation Technology and Transformation Joint Laboratory, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaIntelligent Non-invasive Neuromodulation Technology and Transformation Joint Laboratory, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaIntelligent Non-invasive Neuromodulation Technology and Transformation Joint Laboratory, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaEngineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaIntelligent Non-invasive Neuromodulation Technology and Transformation Joint Laboratory, Xidian University, Xi’an, ChinaWorking memory (WM) is one of the core components of higher cognitive functions. There exists debate regarding the extent to which current techniques can enhance human WM capacity. Here, we examined the WM modulation effects of a previously less studied technique, transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS). In experiment 1, a within-subject study, we aimed to investigate whether and which stimulation protocols of taVNS can modulate spatial WM performance in healthy adults. Forty-eight participants performed baseline spatial n-back tasks (1, 3-back) and then received online taVNS, offline taVNS, or sham stimulation before or during (online group) the posttest of spatial n-back tasks in random order. Results showed that offline taVNS could significantly increase hits in spatial 3-back task, whereas no effect was found in online taVNS or sham group. No significant taVNS effects were found on correct rejections or reaction time of accurate trials (aRT) in both online and offline protocols. To replicate the results found in experiment 1 and further investigate the generalization effect of offline taVNS, we carried out experiment 2. Sixty participants were recruited and received offline taVNS or offline earlobe stimulation in random order between baseline and posttests of behavioral tests (spatial/digit 3-back tasks). Results replicated the findings; offline taVNS could improve hits but not correct rejections or aRT in spatial WM performance, which were found in experiment 1. However, there were no significant stimulation effects on digit 3-back task. Overall, the findings suggest that offline taVNS has potential on modulating WM performance.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.790793/fulltaVNSworking memoryn-back taskcognitive enhancementnon-invasive neuromodulation |
| spellingShingle | Jin-Bo Sun Jin-Bo Sun Chen Cheng Qian-Qian Tian Hang Yuan Xue-Juan Yang Xue-Juan Yang Hui Deng Hui Deng Xiao-Yu Guo Ya-Peng Cui Meng-Kai Zhang Zi-Xin Yin Cong Wang Wei Qin Wei Qin Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Improves Spatial Working Memory in Healthy Young Adults Frontiers in Neuroscience taVNS working memory n-back task cognitive enhancement non-invasive neuromodulation |
| title | Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Improves Spatial Working Memory in Healthy Young Adults |
| title_full | Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Improves Spatial Working Memory in Healthy Young Adults |
| title_fullStr | Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Improves Spatial Working Memory in Healthy Young Adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Improves Spatial Working Memory in Healthy Young Adults |
| title_short | Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Improves Spatial Working Memory in Healthy Young Adults |
| title_sort | transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation improves spatial working memory in healthy young adults |
| topic | taVNS working memory n-back task cognitive enhancement non-invasive neuromodulation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.790793/full |
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