Non-invasive access to the vagus nerve central projections via electrical stimulation of the external ear: fMRI evidence in humans
Frangos E, Ellrich J, Komisaruk BR
Brain Stimulation · 2015
Key finding
In 12 healthy adults, fMRI showed that stimulating the ear's cymba conchae — versus the earlobe — activated the classical central vagal projections (NTS, locus coeruleus, dorsal raphe), confirming the ear route reaches the vagus non-invasively.
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- Condition
- Neuroimaging
- Stimulation
- taVNS
- Evidence tier
- Controlled Clinical Trial
- Participants
- 12
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Cite this study
Frangos, E., Ellrich, J., & Komisaruk, B. R. (2015). Non-invasive access to the vagus nerve central projections via electrical stimulation of the external ear: fMRI evidence in humans. Brain Stimulation, 8(3), 624-636. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2014.11.018
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