Impact of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Large-Scale Functional Brain Networks: From Local to Global
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a novel non-invasive brain stimulation technique considered as a potential supplementary treatment option for a wide range of diseases. Although first promising findings were obtained so far, the exact mode of action of taVNS is not fully u...
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doaj-d57615e3d4374d4d83206651bb1ec6bd2021-08-20T13:55:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2021-08-011210.3389/fphys.2021.700261700261Impact of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Large-Scale Functional Brain Networks: From Local to GlobalThorsten Rings0Thorsten Rings1Randi von Wrede2Timo Bröhl3Timo Bröhl4Sophia Schach5Christoph Helmstaedter6Klaus Lehnertz7Klaus Lehnertz8Klaus Lehnertz9Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, GermanyHelmholtz Institute for Radiation and Nuclear Physics, University of Bonn, Bonn, GermanyDepartment of Epileptology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, GermanyDepartment of Epileptology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, GermanyHelmholtz Institute for Radiation and Nuclear Physics, University of Bonn, Bonn, GermanyDepartment of Epileptology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, GermanyDepartment of Epileptology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, GermanyDepartment of Epileptology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, GermanyHelmholtz Institute for Radiation and Nuclear Physics, University of Bonn, Bonn, GermanyInterdisciplinary Center for Complex Systems, University of Bonn, Bonn, GermanyTranscutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a novel non-invasive brain stimulation technique considered as a potential supplementary treatment option for a wide range of diseases. Although first promising findings were obtained so far, the exact mode of action of taVNS is not fully understood yet. We recently developed an examination schedule to probe for immediate taVNS-induced modifications of large-scale epileptic brain networks. With this schedule, we observed short-term taVNS to have a topology-modifying, robustness- and stability-enhancing immediate effect on large-scale functional brain networks from subjects with focal epilepsies. We here expand on this study and investigate the impact of short-term taVNS on various local and global characteristics of large-scale evolving functional brain networks from a group of 30 subjects with and without central nervous system diseases. Our findings point to differential, at first glance counterintuitive, taVNS-mediated alterations of local and global topological network characteristics that result in a reconfiguration of networks and a modification of their stability and robustness properties. We propose a model of a stimulation-related stretching and compression of evolving functional brain networks that may help to better understand the mode of action of taVNS.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.700261/fullevolving functional brain networkbrain stimulationnetwork reconfigurationnetwork characteristicscentralityEEG |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Thorsten Rings Thorsten Rings Randi von Wrede Timo Bröhl Timo Bröhl Sophia Schach Christoph Helmstaedter Klaus Lehnertz Klaus Lehnertz Klaus Lehnertz |
spellingShingle |
Thorsten Rings Thorsten Rings Randi von Wrede Timo Bröhl Timo Bröhl Sophia Schach Christoph Helmstaedter Klaus Lehnertz Klaus Lehnertz Klaus Lehnertz Impact of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Large-Scale Functional Brain Networks: From Local to Global Frontiers in Physiology evolving functional brain network brain stimulation network reconfiguration network characteristics centrality EEG |
author_facet |
Thorsten Rings Thorsten Rings Randi von Wrede Timo Bröhl Timo Bröhl Sophia Schach Christoph Helmstaedter Klaus Lehnertz Klaus Lehnertz Klaus Lehnertz |
author_sort |
Thorsten Rings |
title |
Impact of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Large-Scale Functional Brain Networks: From Local to Global |
title_short |
Impact of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Large-Scale Functional Brain Networks: From Local to Global |
title_full |
Impact of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Large-Scale Functional Brain Networks: From Local to Global |
title_fullStr |
Impact of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Large-Scale Functional Brain Networks: From Local to Global |
title_full_unstemmed |
Impact of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Large-Scale Functional Brain Networks: From Local to Global |
title_sort |
impact of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on large-scale functional brain networks: from local to global |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Physiology |
issn |
1664-042X |
publishDate |
2021-08-01 |
description |
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a novel non-invasive brain stimulation technique considered as a potential supplementary treatment option for a wide range of diseases. Although first promising findings were obtained so far, the exact mode of action of taVNS is not fully understood yet. We recently developed an examination schedule to probe for immediate taVNS-induced modifications of large-scale epileptic brain networks. With this schedule, we observed short-term taVNS to have a topology-modifying, robustness- and stability-enhancing immediate effect on large-scale functional brain networks from subjects with focal epilepsies. We here expand on this study and investigate the impact of short-term taVNS on various local and global characteristics of large-scale evolving functional brain networks from a group of 30 subjects with and without central nervous system diseases. Our findings point to differential, at first glance counterintuitive, taVNS-mediated alterations of local and global topological network characteristics that result in a reconfiguration of networks and a modification of their stability and robustness properties. We propose a model of a stimulation-related stretching and compression of evolving functional brain networks that may help to better understand the mode of action of taVNS. |
topic |
evolving functional brain network brain stimulation network reconfiguration network characteristics centrality EEG |
url |
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.700261/full |
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