Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Integration of Behavior and Cardiac Modulation

NCT ID: NCT04467164

Last Updated: 2025-03-27

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 20 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2015-04-15
• Study Completion Date: 2018-09-22

Brief Summary

This study characterized the impact of respiratory-gated transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) on the modulation of the stress response circuitry, vagal tone and depressed mood in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Twenty premenopausal women with recurrent MDD in an active episode were recruited into a single-blind cross-over study that included two functional MRI visits within a one week period with simultaneous mood and physiological assessments. Randomization to exhalatory- or inhalatory-gated tVNS was performed to control for order effects. The study hypothesis was that exhalatory-gated tVNS would have a significantly greater impact on the regulation of brain activity in stress response circuitry, vagal tone and depressed mood in MDD patients compared to inhalation-gated tVNS. This is not a clinical trial aimed to test a medical device, but a basic experimental study oriented to understand the effects of vagal afference modulation on brain and cardiovagal physiological response to stress in major depression.

Detailed Description

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated with alterations of the stress response circuitry, including the hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex, ventromedial, dorsolateral and orbital prefrontal cortices. Many of these regions are morphologically and functionally sexually dimorphic and associated with vulnerability for sex differences in MDD. A major role for the stress response circuitry is to assess potentially stressful stimuli and respond with a neuroendocrine signal that coordinates homeostatic responses throughout the body. Neuroimaging studies have suggested that alterations in this circuitry are implicated in mood dysregulation, increased activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system in depressed persons. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying alterations in physiological response to stress in major depression may contribute to the development of novel interventions that regulate this system with a significant impact on the improvement of clinical and physiological alterations of MDD.

It has been previously suggested that modulation of vagus nerve activity may have a significant effect on the modulation of the brain circuitry involved in the regulation of mood and stress response. Recently, a non-invasive approach for modulation of vagus nerve activity, transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), which targets the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (ABVN) has been proposed. Moreover, previous studies have shown that vagal afference is highly regulated by respiration and that modulation of vagus nerve activity may be optimized by gating ABVN stimulation to the exhalatory phase of the respiratory cycle. Thus, this study proposed to characterize the impact of respiratory-gated tVNS on the modulation of the stress response circuitry, vagal tone and depressed mood in patients with recurrent major depression (MDD). This is not a clinical trial aimed to test a medical device, but a basic experimental study oriented to understand the effects of vagal afference modulation on brain and cardiovagal physiological response to stress in major depression.

Twenty premenopausal women with recurrent MDD in an active episode were recruited into a single-blind cross-over study that included two functional MRI visits, within a one week period, with simultaneous mood and physiological assessments. Randomization to exhalatory- or inhalatory-gated tVNS was performed to control for order effects. Subjects were exposed to a mild visual stress challenge that preceded and followed 30 minutes of exhalatory- or inhalatory-gated tVNS. The study hypothesis was that exhalatory-gated tVNS would have a significantly greater impact on the regulation of brain activity in stress response circuitry, vagal tone and depressed mood in MDD patients compared to inhalation-gated tVNS

Conditions

Major Depressive Disorder

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Exhalatory-gated tVNS

exhalatory-gated tVNS on the left auricle

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

exhalatory-gated transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (e-RAVANS)

Intervention Type: OTHER

Non-painful exhalatory-gated electrical stimulation of the auricle for 30 minutes during a functional magnetic resonance imaging session.

Inhalatory-gated tVNS

inhalatory-gated tVNS on the left auricle

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Inhalatory-gated transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (i-RAVANS)

Intervention Type: OTHER

Non-painful inhalatory-gated electrical stimulation of the auricle for 30 minutes during a functional magnetic resonance imaging session.

Interventions

exhalatory-gated transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (e-RAVANS)

Non-painful exhalatory-gated electrical stimulation of the auricle for 30 minutes during a functional magnetic resonance imaging session.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Inhalatory-gated transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (i-RAVANS)

Non-painful inhalatory-gated electrical stimulation of the auricle for 30 minutes during a functional magnetic resonance imaging session.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Other Intervention Names

e-RAVANS; i-RAVANS

Eligibility Criteria

Exclusion Criteria

• History of Axis I psychiatric diagnosis other than MDD or anxiety disorder - e.g., substance use disorder, psychotic disorder, or bipolar disorder.
• Current Suicidal Ideation with intent and/or plan or history of suicide attempt within the last year
• Use of psychotropic medications within four weeks prior to study with the exception of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) class of antidepressant medication only
• Use of Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and Atypical agents
• History of cardiovascular disease
• History of neuroleptic use
• Past history of substance abuse or dependence within the past 12 months (excludes nicotine)
• Bleeding disorder or use of anticoagulants.
• Pregnancy
• Metallic implants or devices contraindicating magnetic resonance imaging.
• Use of beta blockers

• Minimum Eligible Age: 25 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 40 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Massachusetts General Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Jill M. Goldstein, Ph.D.

Professor & Exec. Dir. Innovation Center on Sex Differences in Medicine

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Jill M Goldstein, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Massachusetts General Hospital

Locations

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Countries

United States

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

R21MH103468

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

2013P001259

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id