Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine ›› 2022, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (3): 463-471.DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2022.03.012
• Research Article • Previous Articles Next Articles
Transcutaneous auricular vague nerve stimulation improved brain connection activity on patients of disorders of consciousness: a pilot study
WANG Yifei1, YANG Yi2, WANG Yu1, ZHANG Jinling1, ZHAI Weihang1, LI Shaoyuan1, WU Mozheng1, HE Jianghong2(
), RONG Peijing1()
- 1 Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
2 Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, 100700, Beijing, China
-
Received:2021-10-22Accepted:2022-01-29Online:2022-06-15Published:2022-05-20 -
Contact:HE Jianghong,RONG Peijing -
About author:HE Jianghong, Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, 100700, Beijing, China, he_jianghong@sina.cnTelephone: +86-13718482149; +86-13717951390
Prof. RONG Peijing, Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China. drrongpj@163.com;
-
Supported by:Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Public Welfare Research Institutes: Brain Effects and Multimodal Imaging Mechanism of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Patients with Disorder of Consciousness(CI2021A03305)
Cite this article
WANG Yifei, YANG Yi, WANG Yu, ZHANG Jinling, ZHAI Weihang, LI Shaoyuan, WU Mozheng, HE Jianghong, RONG Peijing. Transcutaneous auricular vague nerve stimulation improved brain connection activity on patients of disorders of consciousness: a pilot study[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2022, 42(3): 463-471.
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Table 1 Characteristics of patients
| Number | Age | Sex | Etiology | Post-injury (Months) | CRS-R | Diagnosis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 | Male | stroke | 8 | 6 | VS |
| 2 | 51 | Male | stroke | 3 | 6 | VS |
| 3 | 33 | Male | anoxic | 10 | 6 | VS |
| 4 | 39 | Male | stroke | 11 | 6 | VS |
| 5 | 50 | Male | stroke | 4 | 7 | VS |
| 6 | 39 | Male | stroke | 6 | 6 | VS |
| 7 | 41 | Male | anoxic | 6 | 7 | VS |
| 8 | 41 | Male | stroke | 5 | 8 | MCS |
| 9 | 24 | Male | stroke | 13 | 9 | MCS |
| 10 | 53 | Male | trauma | 13 | 10 | MCS |
| 11 | 32 | Male | trauma | 6 | 9 | MCS |
| 12 | 24 | Male | stroke | 6 | 8 | MCS |
Table 1 Characteristics of patients
| Number | Age | Sex | Etiology | Post-injury (Months) | CRS-R | Diagnosis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 | Male | stroke | 8 | 6 | VS |
| 2 | 51 | Male | stroke | 3 | 6 | VS |
| 3 | 33 | Male | anoxic | 10 | 6 | VS |
| 4 | 39 | Male | stroke | 11 | 6 | VS |
| 5 | 50 | Male | stroke | 4 | 7 | VS |
| 6 | 39 | Male | stroke | 6 | 6 | VS |
| 7 | 41 | Male | anoxic | 6 | 7 | VS |
| 8 | 41 | Male | stroke | 5 | 8 | MCS |
| 9 | 24 | Male | stroke | 13 | 9 | MCS |
| 10 | 53 | Male | trauma | 13 | 10 | MCS |
| 11 | 32 | Male | trauma | 6 | 9 | MCS |
| 12 | 24 | Male | stroke | 6 | 8 | MCS |
Figure 1 TaVNS and TnVNS
Figure 1 TaVNS and TnVNS
Figure 2 Electroencephalogram pre-process flow
Figure 2 Electroencephalogram pre-process flow
Figure 3 Consort diagram EEG: electroencephalogram; CRS-R: Coma Recovery Scale-Revised; taVNS: transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve nerve stimulation; tnVNS: transcutaneous non-auricular vague nerve stimulation.
Figure 3 Consort diagram EEG: electroencephalogram; CRS-R: Coma Recovery Scale-Revised; taVNS: transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve nerve stimulation; tnVNS: transcutaneous non-auricular vague nerve stimulation.
Figure 4 Brain local regions
Figure 4 Brain local regions
Figure 5 Correlation between EEG and CRS-R EEG: electroencephalogram; CRS-R: Coma Recovery Scale-Revised.
Figure 5 Correlation between EEG and CRS-R EEG: electroencephalogram; CRS-R: Coma Recovery Scale-Revised.
Figure 6 Topography of spectral density In Figure 6 (a) shows that taVNS can increase the energy of Delta band and decrease the energy of Beta band of patients in VS group. (c) shows that the results are opposite in patients of MCS group after taVNS. taVNS: transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve nerve stimulation; tnVNS: transcutaneous non-auricular vague nerve stimulation; MCS: minimally conscious state.On the other hand, tnVNS can hardly cause changes in patients’ brain activities.
Figure 6 Topography of spectral density In Figure 6 (a) shows that taVNS can increase the energy of Delta band and decrease the energy of Beta band of patients in VS group. (c) shows that the results are opposite in patients of MCS group after taVNS. taVNS: transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve nerve stimulation; tnVNS: transcutaneous non-auricular vague nerve stimulation; MCS: minimally conscious state.On the other hand, tnVNS can hardly cause changes in patients’ brain activities.
Figure 7 Spectral density As shown in Figure 7, after taVNS or tnVNS stimulation for 14 d, patients of VS group only showed significant changes in delta band energy. There were differences in whole brain, frontal lobe and parietal lobe. While in patients of MCS group, there were significant changes not only in delta and beta bands, but also in whole brain and local brain regions. taVNS: transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve nerve stimulation; tnVNS: transcutaneous non-auricular vague nerve stimulation; VS: vegetative state; MCS: minimally conscious state. Compared with VS, aP < 0.05.
Figure 7 Spectral density As shown in Figure 7, after taVNS or tnVNS stimulation for 14 d, patients of VS group only showed significant changes in delta band energy. There were differences in whole brain, frontal lobe and parietal lobe. While in patients of MCS group, there were significant changes not only in delta and beta bands, but also in whole brain and local brain regions. taVNS: transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve nerve stimulation; tnVNS: transcutaneous non-auricular vague nerve stimulation; VS: vegetative state; MCS: minimally conscious state. Compared with VS, aP < 0.05.
Figure 8 Region - Coherence As can be seen from Figure 8, after taVNS or tnVNS stimulation for 14 d, there is only significant channel activity between the frontal and parietal lobes in patients of VS group. In patients of MCS group, there was significant connective activity not only in the local brain regions of the frontal and occipital lobes, but also in the trans-cerebral regions of the frontal-parietal and frontal-occipital lobes. taVNS: transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve nerve stimulation; tnVNS: transcutaneous non-auricular vague nerve stimulation; VS: vegetative state; MCS: minimally conscious state. Compared with VS, aP < 0.05, bP < 0.01.
Figure 8 Region - Coherence As can be seen from Figure 8, after taVNS or tnVNS stimulation for 14 d, there is only significant channel activity between the frontal and parietal lobes in patients of VS group. In patients of MCS group, there was significant connective activity not only in the local brain regions of the frontal and occipital lobes, but also in the trans-cerebral regions of the frontal-parietal and frontal-occipital lobes. taVNS: transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve nerve stimulation; tnVNS: transcutaneous non-auricular vague nerve stimulation; VS: vegetative state; MCS: minimally conscious state. Compared with VS, aP < 0.05, bP < 0.01.
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