Reproducibility of HRV as a Biomarker for Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Poster No:
27
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Xue-Zhen XIAO1, Meng Yang2, Yao Xue3, Gan Huang4
Institutions:
1Zhuhai Fudan Innovation Institute, Zhuhai, China, 2Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China, 3Zhejiang University Huzhou Institute, Huzhou, China, 4Shenzhen University, Shenzhen,China
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Introduction:
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a non-invasive treatment modality that delivers electrical stimulation to the auricular branch of the vagus nerve. It has shown promising effects in improving conditions such as sleep disorders and depression. Compared to implantable vagus nerve stimulation, taVNS avoids the risks associated with surgery and presents a cost-effective alternative. A key research focus in taVNS is identifying reliable and stable biomarkers that reflect effective vagus nerve modulation. Heart rate variability (HRV) has been suggested as a potential biomarker, yet its reproducibility remains underexplored.This study aims to investigate the reproducibility of HRV as a reliable biomarker for effective vagus nerve modulation through taVNS.
Methods:
Forty-two healthy university students participated in two repeated experiments one week apart, with half randomly assigned to the true stimulation group (electrical stimulation of the auricular concha) and half to the sham stimulation group (electrical stimulation of the earlobe). The experiment controlled for factors such as order, gender, stimulation type, and current parameters. Each session included a 10-minute resting baseline (no stimulation), a 10-minute stimulation period, and a 5-minute recovery phase (no stimulation). During the 25 minutes, participants watched a neutral video related to natural scenery while heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded via ECG. Stimulation parameters were: frequency 25 Hz, pulse width 300 µs, intensity from 0 to 6 mA, adjustable in 60 levels (0.1 mA per level) based on participant tolerance and comfort. Time-domain and frequency-domain HRV signals were extracted for calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) as a measure of reproducibility for HRV as a taVNS biomarker.
·The positions of stimulation electrodes and ECG recording electrodes
Results:
During active stimulation, HRV (47.44 ms, measured by the RMSSD index) was significantly higher than during the resting period (43.86 ms) (t = 5.10, p < .001). The ICC for HRV between true and sham stimulation conditions was 0.75 for single measures and 0.86 for average measures, indicating strong consistency in HRV across different days for each participant. A similar pattern was observed for the high-frequency index of the R-R intervals, which reflects parasympathetic activity. However, the ICC for the HRV difference between the stimulation and baseline periods (ICC = 0.01) or between the stimulation and resting periods (ICC = 0.25) was significantly lower than the ICC for HRV measured at each individual stage.
Conclusions:
taVNS can significantly enhance parasympathetic excitability. Both time-domain and frequency-domain HRV measures can serve as biomarkers for taVNS. While HRV measures show high reproducibility across individuals, the reproducibility of HRV changes induced by taVNS modulation is relatively low. Further data exploration or the establishment of better control groups is needed for more in-depth investigation.
Brain Stimulation:
Non-invasive Electrical/tDCS/tACS/tRNS 1
Non-Invasive Stimulation Methods Other 2
Keywords:
ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY
Experimental Design
NORMAL HUMAN
Other - transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
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