Abstract
Objectives
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a promising treatment
option for migraines. This study aims to investigate the modulation effects of different
taVNS frequencies along the central vagus nerve pathway in migraineurs.
Materials and methods
Twenty-four migraineurs were recruited for a single-blind, crossover magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) study. The study consisted of two taVNS MRI scan sessions, in which
either 1-Hz or 20-Hz taVNS was applied in a random order. Seed-based static and dynamic
functional connectivity (FC) analyses were performed using two key nodes of the vagus
nerve pathway, the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and the locus coeruleus (LC).
Results
Static FC (sFC) analysis showed that 1) continuous 1-Hz taVNS resulted in an increase
of NTS/LC–occipital cortex sFC and a decrease of NTS-thalamus sFC compared with the
pre–1-Hz taVNS resting state, 2) continuous 20-Hz taVNS resulted in an increase of
the LC–anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) sFC compared with the pre–20-Hz taVNS resting
state, 3) 1-Hz taVNS produced a greater LC-precuneus and LC–inferior parietal cortex
sFC than 20 Hz, and 4) 20-Hz taVNS increased LC-ACC and LC–super temporal gyrus/insula
sFC in comparison with 1 Hz. Dynamic FC (dFC) analysis showed that compared with the
pre-taVNS resting state, 1-Hz taVNS decreased NTS–postcentral gyrus dFC (less variability),
20-Hz taVNS decreased dFC of the LC–superior temporal gyrus and the LC–occipital cortex.
Finally, a positive correlation was found between the subjects’ number of migraine
attacks in the past four weeks and the NTS-thalamus sFC during pre-taVNS resting state.
Conclusions
1-Hz and 20-Hz taVNS may modulate the sFC and dFC of key nodes in the central vagus
nerve pathway differently. Our findings highlight the importance of stimulation parameters
(frequencies) in taVNS treatment.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 25, 2022
Accepted:
August 31,
2022
Received in revised form:
August 5,
2022
Received:
March 18,
2022
Footnotes
Source(s) of financial support: This work was supported by the Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province of China (A2017234), the Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Guangdong Province of China (20182047), the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Project of Guangdong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (YN2020MS09), and the Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou (202102010260).
Conflict of Interest: Jian Kong reported holding equity in a startup company (MNT) and a patent on neuromodulation administration, but reported no conflict of interest. The remaining authors report no conflict of interest.
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© 2022 International Neuromodulation Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
