Cardiac and Peripheral Autonomic Responses to Orthostatic Stress During Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Healthy Subjects

Journal of Clinical Medicine

GianDomenico Pinna¹  MariaTeresa La Rovere¹  Marco Vicenzi²  Chiara Cogliati³  Giulia Sandrone³  Edgar Toschi-Dias⁴  Eleonora Tobaldini⁴  Nicola Montano⁴  Liliane Appratto de Souza⁵  Karina Rabello Casali⁶ 

[1] Department of Cardiology and Biomedical Engineering, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Istituto di Montescano, 27040 Pavia, Italy;Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy;Department of Internal Medicine, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, 20131 Milan, Italy;Department of Internal Medicine, Fondazione IRCSS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy;Institute of Cardiology of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90040-060, Brazil;Institute of Science and Technology, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 04021-001, Brazil;

关键词: transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS);    neuromodulation;    cardiac autonomic control;    orthostatic stress;    symbolic analysis;   

DOI  :  10.3390/jcm8040496

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Previous studies showed that transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) modulates the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in resting condition. However, the autonomic regulation in response to an orthostatic challenge during tVNS in healthy subjects remains unknown. We tested the hypothesis that tVNS reduces heart rate (HR) and alters the responsivity of ANS to orthostatic stress in healthy subjects. In a randomized and cross-over trial, thirteen healthy subjects underwent two experimental sessions on different days: (1) tVNS and (2) control. Using a tVNS device, an auricular electrode was placed on the left cymba conchae of the external ear; an electric current with a pulse frequency of 25 Hz and amplitude between 1 and 6 mA was applied. For the assessment of ANS, the beat-to-beat HR and systolic arterial pressure (SAP) were analyzed using linear and nonlinear approaches during clinostatic and orthostatic conditions. In clinostatic conditions, tVNS reduced HR (p < 0.01), SAP variability (p < 0.01), and cardiac and peripheral sympathetic modulation (p < 0.01). The responsivity of the peripheral sympathetic modulation to orthostatic stress during tVNS was significantly higher when compared to the control session (p = 0.03). In conclusion, tVNS reduces the HR and affects cardiac and peripheral autonomic control and increases the responses of peripheral autonomic control to orthostatic stress in healthy subjects.

【 授权许可】

Unknown