Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28918943›Full record

ArticleBrain stimulation

Vagus nerve stimulation improves locomotion and neuronal populations in a model of Parkinson's disease.

Ariana Q Farrand, Kristi L Helke, Rebecca A Gregory, Monika Gooz, Vanessa K Hinson, Heather A Boger

Open access · greenAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Brain stimulation. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 71 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
71citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
4.9field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

71 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 124 citations in OpenAlex.

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  3. Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Movement Disorders, from Principles to a Systematic Review of Evidence.Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society · 2025
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11 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Ariana Q FarrandDept of Neuroscience and Center on Aging, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave, BSB403, MSC510, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
Kristi L HelkeDept of Comparative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 114 Doughty St, STB 648, MSC 777, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; Dept of Pathology, Medical University of South Carolina, 165 Ashley Ave, Children's Hospital 309, MSC 908, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
Rebecca A GregoryDept of Neuroscience and Center on Aging, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave, BSB403, MSC510, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; Dept of Comparative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 114 Doughty St, STB 648, MSC 777, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
Monika GoozDept of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 70 President St, DDB 507, MSC 139, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
Vanessa K HinsonDept of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas St, CSB 309, MSC 606, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
Heather A BogerDept of Neuroscience and Center on Aging, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave, BSB403, MSC510, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. Electronic address: boger@musc.edu.
Medical University of South Carolina · US

Funding

Translational Science Laboratory Shared ResourceP30CA138313 · NCI · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · PI Jian Ouyang · 2009 to 2026
$42.7M
SOUTH CAROLINA COBRE IN OXIDANTS, REDOX BALANCE AND STRESS SIGNALINGP20GM103542 · NIGMS · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · PI TEW, KENNETH D. · 2012 to 2020
$20.2M
Confocal/Multiphoton Microscope UpgradeS10OD018113 · OD · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · PI LEMASTERS, JOHN J · 2015 to 2015
$570k
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA138313NIGMS NIH HHS P20 GM103542NIH HHS S10 OD018113
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundParkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder with no disease-modifying therapies, and symptomatic treatments are often limited by debilitating side effects. In PD, locus coeruleus noradrenergic (LC-NE) neurons degenerate prior to substantia nigra dopaminergic (SN-DA) neurons. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) activates LC neurons, and decreases pro-inflammatory markers, allowing improvement of LC targets, making it a potential PD therapeutic.

objectiveTo assess therapeutic potential of VNS in a PD model.

methodsTo mimic the progression of PD degeneration, rats received a systemic injection of noradrenergic neurotoxin DSP-4, followed one week later by bilateral intrastriatal injection of dopaminergic neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine. At this time, a subset of rats also had vagus cuffs implanted. After eleven days, rats received a precise VNS regimen twice a day for ten days, and locomotion was measured during each afternoon session. Immediately following final stimulation, rats were euthanized, and left dorsal striatum, bilateral SN and LC were sectioned for immunohistochemical detection of monoaminergic neurons (tyrosine hydroxylase, TH), α-synuclein, astrocytes (GFAP) and microglia (Iba-1).

resultsVNS significantly increased locomotion of lesioned rats. VNS also resulted in increased expression of TH in striatum, SN, and LC; decreased SN α-synuclein expression; and decreased expression of glial markers in the SN and LC of lesioned rats. Additionally, saline-treated rats after VNS, had higher LC TH and lower SN Iba-1.

conclusionsOur findings of increased locomotion, beneficial effects on LC-NE and SN-DA neurons, decreased α-synuclein density in SN TH-positive neurons, and neuroinflammation suggest VNS has potential as a novel PD therapeutic.

Indexed as

Adrenergic NeuronsAnimalsBenzylaminesDopamineDopaminergic NeuronsLocomotionLocus CoeruleusMaleNeostriatumNorepinephrineOxidopamineParkinsonian DisordersRandom AllocationRatsRats, Long-EvansSubstantia NigraBenzylaminesDopamineDSP 4NorepinephrineOxidopamineTyrosine 3-MonooxygenaseDopamineLocus coeruleusNorepinephrineParkinson's diseaseSubstantia nigraVagus nerve

Identifiers

PMID28918943
PMCPMC5675746
OpenAlexW2747257419

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.