Vagus nerve stimulation hints at a vascular pathway to support long-term learning
Do you ever feel like sometimes you can master a new dance step almost immediately, while other times you struggle to nail it despite repeated practice? This might be due to skill or effort, but also to something less obvious: whether the brain is in a state that allows learning to take hold.
Researchers from Tohoku University have discovered a potential link between vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and enhanced long-term motor learning in mice. The study, published in iScience, demonstrates that VNS, which modulates communication between the body and brain, can promote a receptive state in the brain for memory consolidation.
The researchers implanted a small cuff electrode to stimulate the left cervical vagus nerve of mice during horizontal optokinetic response (HOKR) learning, a task that requires the cerebellum to track moving visual stripes. While VNS did not improve performance during training, it showed positive effects on long-term learning on subsequent days.
The study reveals that VNS triggers a biphasic vascular response in the cerebellar flocculus, a region involved in HOKR learning. This response consists of a brief decrease in local blood volume followed by a delayed increase, which persisted with repeated VNS sessions. The findings suggest that VNS may unlock latent learning capacities by tuning the brain's metabolic environment through rhythmic vascular movements.
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