Handheld Device Fights Fatigue by Stimulating Vagus Nerve
Feeling tired? Applying electricity to a nerve in the neck with a handheld device can reduce fatigue and improve multitasking in sleep-deprived people, according to a new study conducted on U.S. Air Force volunteers.
Previous research found that electrically stimulating the brain with a technique known as transcranial direct current stimulation can improve mental performance in a variety of ways, such as combating fatigue. Prior work suggested the benefits were rooted in the stimulation of a region in the brainstem known as the locus coeruleus, thought to play a key role in attention, wakefulness, memory formation and memory retention.
Still, although transcranial direct current stimulation is a non-invasive technique, it is difficult to use it by oneself and may require 30-minute doses to boost attention and vigor. As such, researchers wanted to find simpler, quicker methods to achieve similar results.
So scientists explored stimulating the vagus nerves that run from the abdomen into the locus coeruleus. Vagal nerve stimulation has been an FDA-approved medical treatment for epilepsy and depression for more than two decades, and recent work has found vagal nerve stimulation boosts memory and learning in both rats and humans.
