Effects of short and prolonged transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on heart rate variability in healthy subjects
(2017) Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical — Vol. 203, p. 88-96 (2017)
Files
DeCoucketaltVNSfinal.pdf
Open Access - Adobe PDF
- 835.73 KB
Details
- Authors
- Abstract
- The vagus nerve is strategically located in the body, and has multiple homeostatic and health-promoting effects. Low vagal activity predicts onset and progression of diseases. These are the reasons to activate this nerve. This study examined the effects of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (t-VNS) on a main index of vagal activity, namely heart rate variability (HRV). In Study 1, we compared short (10 min) left versus right ear t-VNS versus sham (no stimulation) in a within-subjects experimental design. Results revealed significant increases in only one HRV parameter (standard deviation of the RR intervals (SDNN)) following right-ear t-VNS. Study 2 examined the prolonged effects of t-VNS (1 hour) in the right ear. Compared to baseline, right-t-VNS significantly increased the LF and LF/HF components of HRV, and SDNN in women, but not in men. These results show limited effects of t-VNS on HRV, and are discussed in light of neuroanatomical and statistical considerations and future directions are proposed.
- Affiliations
Citations
De Couck, M., Cserjesi, R., Caers, R., Zijlstra, W.-P., Widjaja, D., Wolf, N., Luminet, O., Ellrich, J., & Gidron, Y. (2017). Effects of short and prolonged transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on heart rate variability in healthy subjects. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical, 203, 88-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autneu.2016.11.003 (Original work published 2017)