Pulsed tVNS Protocol and Reinforcement Learning

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF BONN · Jan 3, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a type of treatment called pulsed transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) to see how it can help improve learning from rewards. Researchers want to understand if giving this stimulation at different times during learning—like when making a choice or receiving feedback—can make learning more effective. They hope that by fine-tuning the timing of this stimulation, it could help people make better decisions, especially those who struggle with motivation or reward processing due to mental health issues.

To participate in the study, individuals must be between 18 and 35 years old and have a healthy body weight. They should also be able to see normally, either naturally or with glasses. However, there are some important reasons someone might not be eligible, such as having certain medical conditions or devices like pacemakers. Participants can expect to take part in learning tasks while receiving either active stimulation or a placebo (a dummy treatment), and their brain activity will be monitored using an MRI scan. This research could lead to new ways to support people with difficulties in learning and decision-making.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age between 18 and 35
• • Body-Mass-Index between 18.5 and 30.0 kg/m2
• • Providing written informed consent
• • Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
• Exclusion Criteria:
• acute:
• • skin lesions at the stimulation site (e.g., wounds, inflammation),
• • earrings or piercings on the left or right ear which cannot be removed,
• • implants (pacemaker, cochlear implant, cerebral shunt),
• • required permanent use of hearing aid,
• • pregnant or nursing,
• * other contraindications for MRI (e.g. claustrophobia) lifetime:
• • brain injury,
• • schizophrenia,
• • bipolar disorder,
• • severe substance use disorders,
• • coronary heart disease,
• • stroke,
• • diabetes,
• • epilepsy,
• * asthma 12-month prevalence:
• • current mood or anxiety disorder (excluding specific phobias),
• • obsessive-compulsive disorder,
• • trauma- and stressor-related disorders,
• • somatic symptom disorder,
• • eating disorder.