Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35738468›Full record

ArticleBrain stimulation

Non-invasive cervical vagus nerve stimulation effects on reaction time and valence image anticipation response.

Imanuel Lerman, Ruth Klaming, Andrea Spadoni, Dewleen G Baker, Alan N Simmons

Open access · goldAbstract read
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 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 26% 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

10 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Facilitates Cortical Arousal and Alertness.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023
    Trial
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Interoception: Synthesizing Insights and Charting New Frontiers.Current topics in behavioral neurosciences · 2025
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
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

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Imanuel LermanVA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Pain Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States. Electronic address: ilerman@ucsd.edu.
Ruth KlamingVA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States.
Andrea SpadoniVA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States.
Dewleen G BakerVA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States.
Alan N SimmonsVA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States.
University of California San Diego · US

Funding

Alcohol Research in the Science/Practitioner ModelT32AA013525 · NIAAA · SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY · PI EDWARD P RILEY, ANDREA SPADONI TOWNSEND · 2002 to 2026
$8.4M
Anti-depressant response in neurobiologically defined psychiatric veteran groupsI01CX001542 · VA · VA SAN DIEGO HEALTHCARE SYSTEM · PI SIMMONS, ALAN N · 2018 to 2021
–
Neuromarkers of Treatment for Comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Alcohol Use DisorderI01CX001762 · VA · VA SAN DIEGO HEALTHCARE SYSTEM · PI SPADONI TOWNSEND, ANDREA · 2019 to 2022
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Vagal nerve stimulation to probe inflammation and brain in posttraumatic stressIK2RX002920 · VA · VA SAN DIEGO HEALTHCARE SYSTEM · PI LERMAN, IMANUEL RUVIN · 2019 to 2024
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CSRD VA I01 CX001542CSRD VA I01 CX001762NIAAA NIH HHS T32 AA013525RRD VA IK2 RX002920
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNorepinephrine (NE) driven noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS), which improves attention and reduces reaction time, augments learning. Equally important, endogenous NE mediated arousal is highly dependent on the valence (positive or negative) of the exogenous stimulus. But to date, no study has measured valence specific effects of nVNS on both functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) anticipation task response and reaction time in healthy individuals. Therefore, the aim of this pilot study was to assess whether nVNS vs sham modulates valence cortical anticipation task response and reaction time in a normative sample.

methodsParticipants received right sided transcutaneous cervical nVNS (N = 12) or sham (N = 12) stimulation during a 3T fMRI scan. Subjects first performed a continuous performance task (CPT) and then a cued anticipation task to images of positively and negatively valenced events during fMRI. Reaction times to cues and Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response were examined over phase to identify effects of nVNS/sham over time.

resultsnVNS reduced reaction time for all valenced image anticipation trials. With the fMRI anticipation task, we observed a valence-specific effect; nVNS increased responsivity to images with negative valence and decreased responsivity to images with positive valence, whereas sham showed an inverse valence response.

conclusionsnVNS was linked to reduced reaction time during the anticipation task. In tandem, nVNS consistently enhanced responsivity to negatively valenced images and diminished responsivity to positively valenced images, suggesting specific nVNS driven endogenous neurotransmitter signaling may contribute.

Indexed as

Transcutaneous Electric Nerve StimulationVagus Nerve StimulationHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingPilot ProjectsReaction TimeVagus NerveAnticipationArousalAttentionCervical noninvasive vagal nerve stimulationFunctional magnetic resonance imagingLocus coeruleusNorepinephrine

Identifiers

PMID35738468
PMCPMC9721369
OpenAlexW4283167724

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.