Modulation of visual processing of food by transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS)
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Modulation of visual processing of food by transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) Helena Alicart 1,2 & Marcus Heldmann 3,4 & Martin Göttlich 3,4 & Martina A. Obst 3,4 & Marc Tittgemeyer 5,6 & Thomas F. Münte 3,4
# The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Present project is concerned with the possibility to modulate the neural regulation of food intake by non-invasive stimulation of the vagus nerve. This nerve carries viscero-afferent information from the gut and other internal organs and therefore serves an important role in ingestive behavior. The electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve (VNS) is a qualified procedure in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy and depression. Since weight loss is a known common side effect of VNS treatment in patients with implanted devices, VNS is evaluated as a treatment of obesity. To investigate potential VNS-related changes in the cognitive processing of food-related items, 21 healthy participants were recorded in a 3-Tesla scanner in two counterbalanced sessions. Participants were presented with 72 food pictures and asked to rate how much they liked that food. Before entering the scanner subjects received a 1-h sham or verum stimulation, which was implemented transcutanously with a Cerbomed NEMOS® device. We found significant activations in core areas of the vagal afferent pathway, including left brainstem, thalamus, temporal pole, amygdala, insula, hippocampus, and supplementary motor area for the interaction between ratings (high vs low) and session (verum vs sham stimulation). Significant activations were also found for the main effect of verum compared to sham stimulation in the left inferior and superior parietal cortex. These results demonstrate an effect of tVNS on food image processing even with a preceding short stimulation period. This is a necessary prerequisite for a therapeutic application of tVNS which has to be evaluated in longer-term studies. Keywords Vagus nerve stimulation . Ingestive behavior . Food . Functional MRI
* Thomas F. Münte [email protected] 1
Cognition and Brain Plasticity Group, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), 08097, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
2
Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, Campus Bellvitge, University of Barcelona, 08097, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
3
Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
4
Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM) , University of Lübeck , Ratzeburger Allee 160, Lübeck 23562, Germany
5
Translational Neurocircuitry Group, Max-Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
6
Cluster of Excellence in Cellular Stress and Aging-Associated Disease (CECAD) , Cologne 50931, Germany
The vagus nerve is composed of about 80% afferent fibers and provides bidirectional information between the brain and peripheral organs (de Lartigue 2016). It carries visceral, somatic and taste information, which makes the vagus ner
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