Effect of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation on motor learning

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K19719
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 59:Sports sciences, physical education, health sciences, and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyushu Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Obata Hiroki 九州工業大学, 教養教育院, 教授 (70455377)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 関口 浩文 山梨大学, 大学院総合研究部, 教授 (20392201)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 運動学習 / 経皮的迷走神経刺激

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, to clarify whether transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) enhances motor learning in healthy subjects, we examined the effects of taVNS on the acquisition of two motor learning tasks: (1) force-field adaptation by one-handed reaching movements, (2) serial tapping movements of the fingers. The results showed that, in the force-field adaptation, error amplitudes were significantly decreased after 150 trials of motor learning in taVNS group compared to control group (pseudo-stimulus group). On the other hand, no effect of taVNS was observed for serial tapping movements of the fingers. These results indicate that taVNS enhances motor adaptation tasks.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の結果から、taVNSは運動適応課題の学習を促進することが示唆された。運動適応課題には主に小脳が関与することから、taVNSは小脳が関係するスポーツスキルの習得の効率を高めために利用することが期待される。また小脳は姿勢や歩行にも大きく関与することから、これらの基本動作のリハビリテーションへの応用も期待される