De. Bohning et al., Feasibility of vagus nerve stimulation-synchronized blood oxygenation level-dependent functional MRI, INV RADIOL, 36(8), 2001, pp. 470-479
Citations number
22
Categorie Soggetti
Radiology ,Nuclear Medicine & Imaging","Medical Research Diagnosis & Treatment
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. Left cervical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) by us
e of an implanted neurocybernetic prosthesis (NCP) system is effective in t
reating epilepsy, with open data suggesting effectiveness in depression, ye
t the mechanisms of action are unknown. Our objective was to develop a meth
odology for performing VNS-synchronized functional magnetic resonance imagi
ng (VNS-fMRI) and then to demonstrate its feasibility for studying VNS effe
cts.
METHODS. In nine patients implanted for treatment of intractable depression
, a Macintosh computer was used to detect the signal from the implanted VNS
stimulator and then to synchronize fMRI image acquisition with its regular
firing.
RESULTS. With our VNS-fMRI methodology, the blood oxygenation level-depende
nt response to VNS was shown in brain regions regulated by the vagus nerve:
orbitofrontal and parieto-occipital cortex bilaterally, left temporal cort
ex, the hypothalamus, and the left amygdala.
CONCLUSIONS. Vagus nerve stimulation pulses from an NCP system can be detec
ted externally to determine its firing pattern, thus allowing VNS-fMRI stud
ies of VNS-induced brain activity.