Key result
Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation significantly reduced switch costs in a set-shifting paradigm compared to sham stimulation (4.77 ms vs 37.54 ms, p=0.009).
Why the study?
No studies had systematically evaluated which types of inhibitory control are improved by tVNS within the same experiment, and the effect of tVNS on cognitive flexibility had not yet been investigated.
Does transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation improve executive functions and heart rate variability compared to sham stimulation?
RCT (n=32)
Single-blind
Randomized crossover
No
Does transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation improve executive functions and heart rate variability compared to sham stimulation?
Standardized Mean Difference: 0.494
Absolute Event Rate: 4.77% vs 37.54%
p-value: p=0.009
Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation improves specific aspects of executive function, namely cognitive flexibility, without significantly altering vagally mediated heart rate variability compared to sham.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
tVNS may enhance executive function; hypothesis-generating for neurovisceral integration and requires larger trials.
Borges et al. (2020) conducted an RCT in Healthy (n=32). Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation vs. Sham stimulation (earlobe) was evaluated on Switch costs in the Dimensional Change Card Sorting Task (DCCS) (d = 0.494, p=0.009). Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation significantly reduced switch costs in a set-shifting paradigm compared to sham stimulation (4.77 ms vs 37.54 ms, p=0.009).
Synapse has enriched 4 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: