Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39815765›Full record

ArticlePsychophysiology2025

Stimulate to Remember? The Effects of Short Burst of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) on Memory Performance and Pupil Dilation.

Mareike Ludwig, Matthew J Betts, Dorothea Hämmerer

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Psychophysiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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  3. Article
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  6. 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

3 authors.

Mareike LudwigInstitute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0242-8276
Matthew J BettsInstitute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
Dorothea HämmererInstitute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.

Funding

Representational dynamics for flexible learning in complex environmentsR01MH126971 · NIMH · BROWN UNIVERSITY · PI Matthew Nassar · 2022 to 2026
$3.0M
ARUK SRF2018B-004NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH126971Saxony-Anhalt and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in the Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences ZS/2016/04/78113Sonderforschungsbereich 1315 Project B06, Sonderforschungsbereich 1436, Project A08
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The decline in noradrenergic (NE) locus coeruleus (LC) function in aging is thought to be implicated in episodic memory decline. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), which supports LC function, might serve to preserve or improve memory function in aging. However, taVNS effects are generally very heterogeneous, and it is currently unclear whether taVNS has an effect on memory. In this study, an emotional memory task with negative events involving the LC-NE system was combined with the short burst of event-related taVNS (3 s) in younger adults (N = 24). The aim was to investigate taVNS-induced changes in pupil dilation during encoding and possible taVNS-induced improvements in (emotional) memory performance for early and delayed (24 h) recognition. Negative events were associated with increased pupil dilation and better memory performance. Additionally, real as compared to sham or no stimulation selectively increased memory for negative events. Short bursts of stimulation, whether real or sham, led to an increase in pupil dilation and an improvement in memory performance over time, likely due to the attention-inducing sensory modulation of electrical stimulation.

Indexed as

EmotionsMemoryPupilRecognition, PsychologyTranscutaneous Electric Nerve StimulationVagus Nerve StimulationAdultFemaleHumansMaleYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID39815765
PMCPMC11736245

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Registered trials

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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.