Besides reducing anxiety and depression, tVNS relieves migraine headaches and chronic pain, increases alertness and cognitive functioning and improves behavioral components of Asperger’s syndrome and autism. tVNS is also a treatment for epilepsy and seizures. In addition, treatment with tVNS provides an immediate sense of well-being.
tVNS or Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation is a painless and simple pain management treatment that stimulates the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve, with a weak electrical pulse. Why the electrical stimulation changes the body’s pain, mood, and control of seizures is not entirely understood; many studies of tVNS are cited below and new studies are underway.
tVNS is similar to surgically implanted vagus nerve stimulators as demonstrated by fMRI studies, but at a fraction of the cost and without the risk of surgical complications. tVNS has the distinct advantages of being easy to administer, noninvasive, painless and safe.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved vagal nerve stimulation as a therapy for epilepsy and treatment-resistent depression, but has not yet approved tVNS for refractory depression, although the American Psychiatric Association has endorsed use of tVNS for refractory depression.
tVNS and Autism
Research on infant vagal tone demonstrates that vagal activity is associated with both infant growth and infant socioemotional development. In contrast, low vagal activity has been noted in children with autism. The efficacy of vagus nerve stimulation therapy for improving the quality of life and behavioral components of Asperger’s syndrome and autism has been demonstrated. “Striking improvements in behaviors” of children with severe autism were observed when utilizing vagus nerve stimulation for seizures.
tVNS References
References: Effects of tVNS
Far field potentials from brain stem after transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation: optimization of stimulation and recording parameters. Polak T, Markulin F, Ehlis AC, Langer JB, Ringel TM, Fallgatter AJ. J Neural Transm. 2009 Oct;116(10):1237-42.
Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation may attenuate postoperative cognitive dysfunction in elderly patients. Xiong J, Xue FS, Liu JH, Xu YC, Liao X, Zhang YM, Wang WL, Li S. Med Hypotheses. 2009 Jul 22.
A novel transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation leads to brainstem and cerebral activations measured by functional MRI. Dietrich S, Smith J, Scherzinger C, Hofmann-Preiss K, Freitag T, Eisenkolb A, Ringler R. Biomed Tech (Berl). 2008;53(3):104-11.
BOLD fMRI deactivation of limbic and temporal brain structures and mood enhancing effect by transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation. Kraus T, Hösl K, Kiess O, Schanze A, Kornhuber J, Forster C. J Neural Transm. 2007;114(11):1485-93.
Vagus nerve stimulation: current concepts. Mapstone TB. Neurosurg Focus. 2008 Sep;25(3):E9.
Age effect on far field potentials from the brain stem after transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation. Fallgatter AJ, Ehlis AC, Ringel TM, Herrmann MJ. Int J Psychophysiol. 2005 Apr;56(1):37-43
Far field potentials from the brain stem after transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation. Fallgatter AJ, Neuhauser B, Herrmann MJ, Ehlis AC, Wagener A, Scheuerpflug P, Reiners K, Riederer P. J Neural Transm. 200:3 Dec;110(12):1437-43
References: Effects of tVNS on Depression
Treatment options for the patient who does not respond well to initial antidepressant therapy. Preskorn SH. J Psychiatr Pract. 2009 May;15(3):202-10
Vagus nerve stimulation in drug-resistant daily chronic migraine with depression: preliminary data. Cecchini AP, Mea E, Tullo V, Curone M, Franzini A, Broggi G, Savino M, Bussone G, Leone M. Neurol Sci. 2009 May;30 Suppl 1:S101-4.
Left vagus nerve stimulation for depression: first implantation case post-fDA approval and review of the literature. Patwardhan R, Cardenas R, Myers D, Ware P, Nanda A. J La State Med Soc. 2007 Jan-Feb;159(1):38-41.
Vagus nerve stimulation in chronic treatment-resistant depression: preliminary findings of an open-label study. Corcoran CD, Thomas P, Phillips J, O’Keane V. Br J Psychiatry. 2006 Sep;189:282-3.
Changes in regional cerebral blood flow by therapeutic vagus nerve stimulation in depression: an exploratory approach. Zobel A, Joe A, Freymann N, Clusmann H, Schramm J, Reinhardt M, Biersack HJ, Maier W, Broich K. Psychiatry Res. 2005 Aug 30;139(3):165-79.
References: Effects of tVNS on Autism
Vagal activity, early growth and emotional development. Field T, Diego M. Infant Behav Dev. 2008 Sep;31(3):361-73.
Effects of vagus nerve stimulation in a patient with temporal lobe epilepsy and Asperger syndrome: case report and review of the literature. Warwick TC, Griffith J, Reyes B, Legesse B, Evans M. Epilepsy Behav. 2007 Mar;10(2):344-7.
The effects of vagus nerve stimulation therapy on patients with intractable seizures and either Landau-Kleffner syndrome or autism. Park YD. Epilepsy Behav. 2003 Jun;4(3):286-90.
Left vagal nerve stimulation in six patients with hypothalamic hamartomas. Murphy JV, Wheless JW, Schmoll CM. Pediatr Neurol. 2000 Aug;23(2):167-8.