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Müller, S.J.* ; Teckentrup, V.* ; Rebollo, I.* ; Hallschmid, M. ; Kroemer, N.B.*

Vagus nerve stimulation increases stomach-brain coupling via a vagal afferent pathway.

Brain Stimul. 15, 1279-1289 (2022)
Publ. Version/Full Text Research data DOI PMC
Open Access Gold (Paid Option)
Creative Commons Lizenzvertrag
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.
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Publication type Article: Journal article
Document type Scientific Article
Corresponding Author
Keywords Brain Stimulation ; Electrogastrogram ; Functional Connectivity ; Gastric Network ; Interoceptive Signals ; Tvns
ISSN (print) / ISBN 1935-861X
e-ISSN 1876-4754
Journal Brain stimulation
Quellenangaben Volume: 15, Issue: 5, Pages: 1279-1289 Article Number: , Supplement: ,
Publisher Elsevier
Publishing Place New York, NY
Non-patent literature Publications
Reviewing status Peer reviewed
Institute(s) Institute of Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM)
Grants Daimler und Benz Stiftung
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft