Brain, Behavior and Endocrine Effects of Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
The main aim of the study is to investigate whether the transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation(tVNS) promotes oxytocin release and the potential biomarkers of tVNS based on eye-tracking data
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Detailed Description
A randomized, single-blinded, sham-controlled, within-subject, crossover design will be employed in this study. In a randomized order, a total of 54 healthy subjects will receive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation via tragus and sham stimulation vis earlobe in the left ear (interval between these two stimulations will be 1 week). Eye-tracking and behavioral data will be collected before and after 30 minutes of stimulation, saliva samples will be collected before and after 30 minutes of stimulation, and the end of the experiment.
Some personal traits will be assessed using different kinds of questionnaires, such as the Autism Spectrum Quotient(ASQ), Social Responsiveness Scale(SRS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck's Depression Inventory(BDI), and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20).
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Tragus then earlobe stimulation
|
Device: Vagus nerve stimulation via tragus
The device will send stimulus intensity around 0.5mA via tragus in the left ear (based on participants' subjective report), delivered with a pulse width of 0.25 ms at 25 Hz. Stimulation will be active for 30 seconds, followed by a break of 30 seconds.
Device: Sham stimulation via earlobe
The device will send stimulus intensity around 0.5mA via earlobe in the left ear (based on participants' subjective report), delivered with a pulse width of 0.25 ms at 25 Hz. Stimulation will be active for 30 seconds, followed by a break of 30 seconds.
|
| Experimental: Earlobe then tragus stimulation
|
Device: Vagus nerve stimulation via tragus
The device will send stimulus intensity around 0.5mA via tragus in the left ear (based on participants' subjective report), delivered with a pulse width of 0.25 ms at 25 Hz. Stimulation will be active for 30 seconds, followed by a break of 30 seconds.
Device: Sham stimulation via earlobe
The device will send stimulus intensity around 0.5mA via earlobe in the left ear (based on participants' subjective report), delivered with a pulse width of 0.25 ms at 25 Hz. Stimulation will be active for 30 seconds, followed by a break of 30 seconds.
|
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Oxytocin release [After 30 min tragus stimulation]
Investigating the oxytocin release after vagus nerve stimulation via tragus based on saliva samples
Secondary Outcome Measures
- The relationship between oxytocin concentration and personal traits [through study completion, an average of half an year]
Analyzing the correlation between saliva oxytocin concentration and scores on different personal traits
- Pupil size [After 30 min tragus stimulation]
Investigating whether vagus nerve stimulation via tragus will increase pupil diameter
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Healthy subjects without past or current psychiatric or neurological disorders
Exclusion Criteria:
-
history of head injury;
-
pregnant, menstruating, taking oral contraceptives;
-
medical or psychiatric illness.
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Electronic Science and Technology of China | Chengdu | Sichuan | China | 611731 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Keith Kendrick, Dr., University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- UESTC-neuSCAN-81