On-Demand Sensory Enhancement Via Transcutaneous Cervical Vagus Nerve Stimulation

The acuity of our vision and hearing depends on the accuracy of sensory receptors and the sensory processing capabilities of the brain. Although advancements have made it possible to restore impaired sensory receptors, methods that can rapidly improve sensory processing in the brain remain limited. Recent research with rodents discovered a new potential intervention that can immediately improve sensory processing in the brain by continuously activating the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system directly or indirectly via vagus nerve stimulation. Here, we describe our recent pilot clinical study demonstrating that neuromodulation via transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation (tcVNS) can similarly enhance sensory performance in human adults. We conducted three sham-controlled experiments that assessed the impact of continuous tcVNS on auditory and visual perception. Participants engaged in auditory and visual psychophysics tasks while receiving continuous tcVNS or sham stimulation. Compared to sham, tcVNS evoked 37% better auditory performance (p = 0.00052) and 23% better visual performance (p = 0.038). Notably, participants with lower sensory performance during sham stimulation experienced larger tcVNS-evoked improvements (p = 0.0040), suggesting that this technology may be particularly beneficial for clinically impaired senses. These results establish the effectiveness of continuous tcVNS in humans, positioning it as a potential intervention that can alleviate symptoms of central sensory processing dysfunction on demand.