Electrically Stimulating the Vagus Nerve in and around the Ear Area Activates Regions in the Brain Associated with Improved Cognitive Processing and Anti-Depressant Effects
Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) is a technology that has been used for several years to treat patients with treatment-resistant depression. Stimulating the vagus nerve has shown activation in regions in the brain known to play a role in affecting mood states, such as the anterior cingulate cortex and pre-frontal cortex. However, VNS requires an implant and an expensive surgical operation. Can noninvasively stimulating the vagus nerve around the ear area have the same effects on the brain as it's invasive counterpart?
