Anatomical Basis for Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Link to study: Badran et al. 2018

Overview:

In order to optimize noninvasive brain stimulation modalities as therapeutics, it is critical to consider 4 basic fundamentals: 1) anatomy; 2) target engagement; 3) parameter space; and 4) behavioral effects. taVNS is still in its infancy with groups investigating target and parameter engagement via central [6,7,9] and peripheral [8,10] biomarkers. Behavioral effects are being demonstrated in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders. We need more work on the anatomical basis of taVNS in order to better guide our future trials.