Feasibility and Effectiveness of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) in Awake Mice

Overview

Journal CNS Neurosci Ther

Specialties Neurology
Pharmacology

Date 2024 Sep 11

PMID 39258798

Authors

Yu-Mei Yu

Rui Yao

Zhou-Liang Liu

Yao Lu

Yang-Zi Zhu

Jun-Li Cao

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Aims: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is widely used to treat a variety of disorders because it is noninvasive, safe, and well tolerated by awake patients. However, long-term and repetitive taVNS is difficult to achieve in awake mice. Therefore, developing a new taVNS method that fully mimics the method used in clinical settings and is well-tolerated by awake mice is greatly important for generalizing research findings related to the effects of taVNS. The study aimed to develop a new taVNS device for use in awake mice and to test its reliability and effectiveness.

Methods: We demonstrated the reliability of this taVNS device through retrograde neurotropic pseudorabies virus (PRV) tracing and evaluated its effectiveness through morphological analysis. After 3 weeks of taVNS application, the open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze (EPM) were used to evaluate anxiety-like behaviors, and the Y-maze test and novel object recognition test (NORT) were used to evaluate recognition memory behaviors, respectively.

Results: We found that repetitive taVNS was well tolerated by awake mice, had no effect on anxiety-like behaviors, and significantly improved memory.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that this new taVNS device for repetitive stimulation of awake mice is safe, tolerable, and effective.

Citing Articles

Feasibility and effectiveness of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) in awake mice.

Yu Y, Yao R, Liu Z, Lu Y, Zhu Y, Cao J CNS Neurosci Ther. 2024; 30(9):e70043.

PMID: 39258798 PMC: 11388527. DOI: 10.1111/cns.70043.

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