Vagus nerve stimulation...25 years later! What do we know about the effects on cognition?

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2014 May 21. pii: S0149-7634(14)00122-5. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.05.005. [Epub ahead of print]

Vagus nerve stimulation...25 years later! What do we know about the effects on cognition?

Vonck K¹, Raedt R², Naulaerts J³, De Vogelaere F⁴, Thiery E⁵, Van Roost D⁶, Aldenkamp B⁷, Miatton M⁸, Boon P⁹.

Author information

• ¹Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Neurophysiology, Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Kristl.Vonck@UGent.be.
• ²Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Neurophysiology, Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Robrecht.Raedt@UGent.be.
• ³Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Neurophysiology, Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Joke.Naulaerts@UGent.be.
• ⁴Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Neurophysiology, Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Ferderick.DeVogelaere@UGent.be.
• ⁵Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Neurophysiology, Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Evert.Thiery@scarlet.be.
• ⁶Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Neurophysiology, Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Dirk.VanRoost@UGent.be.
• ⁷Epilepsy Centre Kempenhaeghe, Postbus 61, 5590 AB Heeze, The Netherlands; Maastricht University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: AldenkampB@Kempenhaeghe.nl.
• ⁸Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Neurophysiology, Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Marijke.Miatton@UGent.be.
• ⁹Laboratory for Clinical and Experimental Neurophysiology, Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Epilepsy Centre Kempenhaeghe, Postbus 61, 5590 AB Heeze, The Netherlands. Electronic address: Paul.Boon@UGent.be.

Abstract

VNS therapy was delivered to patients for the first time in 1988. After 25 years, insight in the antiepileptic and antidepressant mechanism of action of VNS has grown steadily. The effects on cognition and especially memory, remain controversial. This review provides an elaborate overview of studies addressing cognition and describes potential underlying mechanisms for the reported effects. Short term VNS has an effect on verbal memory recognition when adminstered at the correct timing and dosage. Chronic VNS resulted into a positive effect on the cognitive status in an Alzheimer population. Positive effect of chronic VNS in epilepsy or depression patients on global cognitive functioning are less convincing. Neither do the results reveal a negative effect which has major implications for chronic treatment of neurology patients. A cascade of neurochemical processes put in motion by changes in NE concentrations in reaction to stimulation of the vagal nerve may underly the VNS-induced effects on cognition and memory. In Alzheimer pathology, NE may act as an anti-inflammatory agent on brainstem nuclei.

Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

KEYWORDS:

Alzheimer's Disease, Quality of life, Vagus nerve stimulation, cognitive functioning, depression, epilepsy, locus coeruleus, memory, norepinephrine

PMID:

24858008

[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24858008

 

Related citations in PubMed

• Enhancement of the function of rat serotonin and norepinephrine neurons by sustained vagus nerve stimulation.[J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2009]

  Enhancement of the function of rat serotonin and norepinephrine neurons by sustained vagus nerve stimulation.

  Manta S, Dong J, Debonnel G, Blier P. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2009 Jul; 34(4):272-80.

• Recordings from the rat locus coeruleus during acute vagal nerve stimulation in the anaesthetised rat.[Neurosci Lett. 2005]

  Recordings from the rat locus coeruleus during acute vagal nerve stimulation in the anaesthetised rat.

  Groves DA, Bowman EM, Brown VJ. Neurosci Lett. 2005 May 13; 379(3):174-9. Epub 2005 Jan 26.

• Cognition-enhancing effect of vagus nerve stimulation in patients with Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study.[J Clin Psychiatry. 2002]

  Cognition-enhancing effect of vagus nerve stimulation in patients with Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study.

  Sjögren MJ, Hellström PT, Jonsson MA, Runnerstam M, Silander HC, Ben-Menachem E. J Clin Psychiatry. 2002 Nov; 63(11):972-80.

• Review Vagal nerve stimulation: a review of its applications and potential mechanisms that mediate its clinical effects.[Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2005]

  Review Vagal nerve stimulation: a review of its applications and potential mechanisms that mediate its clinical effects.

  Groves DA, Brown VJ. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2005 May; 29(3):493-500.

• Review Vagus nerve stimulation and cognition.[Seizure. 2006]

  Review Vagus nerve stimulation and cognition.

  Boon P, Moors I, De Herdt V, Vonck K. Seizure. 2006 Jun; 15(4):259-63. Epub 2006 May 2.

See reviews...See all...