TY - JOUR AU - Bastian, L.* AU - Naher, T.* AU - V. Ngo, H.* AU - Kroemer, N.B.* AU - Mednick, S.* AU - Fries, P.* AU - Born, J. C1 - 75201 C2 - 57846 CY - Ste 800, 230 Park Ave, New York, Ny 10169 Usa SP - 1252-1252 TI - Corrigendum to “Open-loop transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation ofsleep slow oscillations” [Brain Stimul 18 (1) (2025) 241]. JO - Brain Stimul. VL - 18 IS - 4 PB - Elsevier Science Inc PY - 2025 SN - 1935-861X ER - TY - JOUR AB - BACKGROUND: Reduced inhibitory control is associated with obesity and neuroimaging studies indicate that diminished prefrontal cortex activity influence eating behavior and metabolism. The hypothalamus regulates energy homeostasis and is functionally connected to cortical and subcortical regions especially the frontal areas. OBJECTIVES: We tested network-targeted transcranial direct current stimulation (net-tDCS) to influence the excitability of brain regions involved in appetite control. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind parallel group design, 44 adults with overweight or obesity (BMI 30.6 kg/m2, 52.3 % female) received active (anodal or cathodal) or sham 12-channel net-tDCS on the hypothalamus appetite-control network for 25 minutes on three consecutive days while performing a Stop-Signal-Task to measure response inhibition. Before and after stimulation, state questionnaires assessed changes in desire to eat and food craving. Directly after stimulation, participants received a breakfast buffet to evaluate ad-libitum food intake. An oral glucose tolerance test was conducted at follow-up. Resting-state functional MRI was obtained at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS: The Stop-Signal Reaction Time (SSRT) was shorter in both active groups versus sham, indicating improved response inhibition. Additionally, a stronger increase in hypothalamic functional connectivity was associated with shorter SSRT. Caloric intake of sweet food was lower in the anodal group versus sham, but no main effects between groups were observed on total and macronutrient intake, food craving ratings and desire to eat. At follow-up, no differences were observed between groups on peripheral metabolism. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that modulating hypothalamic functional network connectivity patterns via net-tDCS may improve food choice and inhibitory control. AU - Ester-Nacke, T. AU - Veit, R. AU - Thomanek, J. AU - Book, M. AU - Tamble, L. AU - Beermann, M. AU - Löffler, D. AU - Salvador, R.* AU - Ruffini, G.* AU - Heni, M. AU - Birkenfeld, A.L. AU - Plewnia, C.* AU - Preissl, H. AU - Kullmann, S. C1 - 74083 C2 - 57331 CY - Ste 800, 230 Park Ave, New York, Ny 10169 Usa SP - 863-874 TI - Repeated net-tDCS of the hypothalamus appetite-control network enhances inhibitory control and decreases sweet food intake in persons with overweight or obesity. JO - Brain Stimul. VL - 18 IS - 3 PB - Elsevier Science Inc PY - 2025 SN - 1935-861X ER - TY - JOUR AB - BACKGROUND: Maintaining energy homeostasis is vital and supported by vagal signaling between digestive organs and the brain. Previous research has established a gastric network in the brain that is phase synchronized with the rhythm of the stomach, but tools to perturb its function were lacking. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether stomach-brain coupling can be acutely increased by non-invasively stimulating vagal afferent projections to the brain. METHODS: Using a single-blind randomized crossover design, we investigated the effect of acute right-sided transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) versus sham stimulation on stomach-brain coupling. RESULTS: In line with preclinical research, taVNS increased stomach-brain coupling in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) and the midbrain while boosting coupling across the brain. Crucially, in the cortex, taVNS-induced changes in coupling occurred primarily in transmodal regions and were associated with changes in hunger ratings as indicators of the subjective metabolic state. CONCLUSIONS: taVNS increases stomach-brain coupling via an NTS-midbrain pathway that signals gut-induced reward, indicating that communication between the brain and the body is effectively modulated by vago-vagal signaling. Such insights may help us better understand the role of vagal afferents in orchestrating the recruitment of the gastric network which could pave the way for novel neuromodulatory treatments. AU - Müller, S.J.* AU - Teckentrup, V.* AU - Rebollo, I.* AU - Hallschmid, M. AU - Kroemer, N.B.* C1 - 66171 C2 - 53104 SP - 1279-1289 TI - Vagus nerve stimulation increases stomach-brain coupling via a vagal afferent pathway. JO - Brain Stimul. VL - 15 IS - 5 PY - 2022 SN - 1935-861X ER - TY - JOUR AB - Metabolic feedback between the gut and the brain relayed via the vagus nerve contributes to energy homeostasis. We investigated in healthy adults whether non-invasive stimulation of vagal afferents impacts energy homeostasis via efferent effects on metabolism or digestion. In a randomized crossover design, we applied transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) while recording efferent metabolic effects using simultaneous electrogastrography (EGG) and indirect calorimetry. We found that taVNS reduced gastric myoelectric frequency (p = .008), but did not alter resting energy expenditure. We conclude that stimulating vagal afferents induces gastric slowing via vagal efferents without acutely affecting net energy expenditure at rest. Collectively, this highlights the potential of taVNS to modulate digestion by activating the dorsal vagal complex. Thus, taVNS-induced changes in gastric frequency are an important peripheral marker of brain stimulation effects. AU - Teckentrup, V.* AU - Neubert, S.* AU - Santiago, J.C. AU - Hallschmid, M. AU - Walter, M.* AU - Kroemer, N.B.* C1 - 57741 C2 - 47910 CY - Ste 800, 230 Park Ave, New York, Ny 10169 Usa SP - 470-473 TI - Non-invasive stimulation of vagal afferents reduces gastric frequency. JO - Brain Stimul. VL - 13 IS - 2 PB - Elsevier Science Inc PY - 2020 SN - 1935-861X ER -