ArticleFrontiers in human neuroscience2021
Vagus Nerve Stimulation Amplifies Task-Induced Cerebral Blood Flow Increase.
Article in Frontiers in human neuroscience, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of vagus nerve stimulation on cognitive function in patients with epilepsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Cerebral Perfusion and Cognitive Function Under Simulated High-Altitude Hypobaric Hypoxia.Brain and behavior · 2026Trial
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Sleep Disorders: Emerging Evidence and Future Directions.Nature and science of sleep · 2026Review
- Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation during semantic verbal fluency tasks: a high-density diffuse optical tomography study.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2026Article
- Noninvasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation Protects Neurons in the Perihematomal Region and Improves the Outcomes in a Rat Model of Intracerebral Hemorrhage.Neurocritical care · 2025Article
- Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation with task-oriented training improves upper extremity function in patients with subacute stroke: a randomized clinical trial.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2024Article
- Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on upper limb motor function with stroke: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy pilot study.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2023Article
- Stimulation of vagus nerve for patients with disorders of consciousness: a systematic review.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2023Review
- "The Wandering Nerve Linking Heart and Mind" - The Complementary Role of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Modulating Neuro-Cardiovascular and Cognitive Performance.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundVagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an established palliative surgical treatment for refractory epilepsy. Recently, pairing VNS with rehabilitation received growing attention for their joint effect on neural plasticity. However, objective biological measurements proving the interaction between VNS effects and cortical recruitment are lacking. Studies reported that VNS induced little blood flow increase in the cerebral cortex.
objectiveThis study tested the hypothesis that pairing VNS with a cognitive task amplifies task-induced cerebral blood flow (CBF).
methodsThis study included 21 patients implanted with vagus nerve stimulator to treat refractory epilepsy. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) with sensors on the forehead measured CBF changes in the frontal cortices in response to VNS. Cerebral blood flow was measured when VNS was delivered during a resting state or a verbal fluency task. We analyzed the VNS effect on CBF in relation to stimulation intensity and clinical responsiveness.
resultsWe observed no CBF change when VNS was delivered during rest, irrespective of stimulation intensity or responsiveness. Cerebral blood flow changed significantly when a verbal fluency task was paired with VNS in a stimulation intensity-dependent manner. Cerebral blood flow changes in the non-responders showed no intensity-dependency.
conclusionOur results could be an important biological proof of the interaction between VNS effects and cortical recruitment, supporting the validity of pairing VNS with rehabilitation.
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Registered trials
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