The role of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) as modulator of cognitive control – a neurobiochemical and aging-psychophysiological perspective
Final Report Abstract
The project investigated how an electrical stimulation (atVNS) affects the brain - particularly the ability to achieve “cognitive control”. This includes blocking out unimportant information (inhibition), retaining it in memory (working memory, WM), and switching flexibly between tasks. It was shown that atVNS influences certain brain waves (alpha waves) but not the so-called theta waves. Especially in the frontal lobe and the superior parietal lobe, the stimulation helps to suppress disturbing information better and to prevent unimportant content from entering short-term memory. atVNS improves the “closing of the memory gate” (i.e., the sorting out of unimportant information) but not the “opening” (i.e., the taking in of new information). In younger adults, atVNS supports these processes. In older people, on the other hand, atVNS appears to have more detrimental effects. This finding is particularly relevant against the background of the increasing critical trend to use brain stimulation methods as a way of improving cognitive functions. Another finding is that the mechanisms of atVNS differ from another stimulation technique (atDCS). This opens new possibilities for combining both methods. This is precisely what is now being investigated in a new research project that the DFG has just funded.
Publications
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Auricular Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation Diminishes Alpha-Band–Related Inhibitory Gating Processes During Conflict Monitoring in Frontal Cortices. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 25(6), 457-467.
Konjusha, Anyla; Colzato, Lorenza; Mückschel, Moritz & Beste, Christian
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Auricular transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation for alcohol use disorder: A chance to improve treatment?. Addiction Biology, 27(5).
Konjusha, Anyla; Colzato, Lorenza; Ghin, Filippo; Stock, Ann‐Kathrin & Beste, Christian
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Auricular Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation Specifically Enhances Working Memory Gate Closing Mechanism: A System Neurophysiological Study. The Journal of Neuroscience, 43(25), 4709-4724.
Konjusha, Anyla; Yu, Shijing; Mückschel, Moritz; Colzato, Lorenza; Ziemssen, Tjalf & Beste, Christian
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Inhibitory control in WM gate-opening: Insights from alpha desynchronization and norepinephrine activity under atDCS stimulation. NeuroImage, 289, 120541.
Yu, Shijing; Konjusha, Anyla; Ziemssen, Tjalf & Beste, Christian
