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. 2021 Aug;15(4):1886-1897.
doi: 10.1007/s11682-020-00382-8.

Modulation of visual processing of food by transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS)

Helena Alicart  1   2 , Marcus Heldmann  3   4 , Martin Göttlich  3   4 , Martina A Obst  3   4 , Marc Tittgemeyer  5   6 , Thomas F Münte  7   8
Affiliations

Modulation of visual processing of food by transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS)

Helena Alicart et al. Brain Imaging Behav. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Present project is concerned with the possibility to modulate the neural regulation of food intake by non-invasive stimulation of the vagus nerve. This nerve carries viscero-afferent information from the gut and other internal organs and therefore serves an important role in ingestive behavior. The electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve (VNS) is a qualified procedure in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy and depression. Since weight loss is a known common side effect of VNS treatment in patients with implanted devices, VNS is evaluated as a treatment of obesity. To investigate potential VNS-related changes in the cognitive processing of food-related items, 21 healthy participants were recorded in a 3-Tesla scanner in two counterbalanced sessions. Participants were presented with 72 food pictures and asked to rate how much they liked that food. Before entering the scanner subjects received a 1-h sham or verum stimulation, which was implemented transcutanously with a Cerbomed NEMOS® device. We found significant activations in core areas of the vagal afferent pathway, including left brainstem, thalamus, temporal pole, amygdala, insula, hippocampus, and supplementary motor area for the interaction between ratings (high vs low) and session (verum vs sham stimulation). Significant activations were also found for the main effect of verum compared to sham stimulation in the left inferior and superior parietal cortex. These results demonstrate an effect of tVNS on food image processing even with a preceding short stimulation period. This is a necessary prerequisite for a therapeutic application of tVNS which has to be evaluated in longer-term studies.

Keywords: Food; Functional MRI; Ingestive behavior; Vagus nerve stimulation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Stimulation sites for verum and sham stimulation (60 min). Illustration of the task: Picture presentation (1). 5-s delay (2). Liking ratings (3; cVAS from 1 to 8). Delay (4)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Whole Brain Analysis. a. Interaction between verum vs sham stimulation and high vs low ratings. b. Bar graphs indicate mean beta values with standard error of the mean (SEM; white for verum stimulation, grey for sham stimulation; SMA = supplementary motor area; vH = verum stimulation, high ratings; vL = verum stimulation, low ratings; sH = sham stimulation, high ratings; sL: sham stimulation, low ratings)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
ROI analysis. Stimulation x rating interactions. A. Illustration of the significant ROIs B. Mean beta values with SEM. Please notice the differences in scale for the three ROIs. (vH = verum stimulation, high ratings; vL = verum stimulation, low ratings; sH = sham stimulation, high ratings; sL: sham stimulation, Low ratings)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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