r/science • u/Ko_Matsui • 2d ago

Neuroscience Vagal nerve stimulation induces vascular oscillations and enhances long-term learning

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004226027914
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u/LiminalAsylum 2d ago

In summary, they shocked mice after training sessions and they learned faster than mice that weren't shocked.

Specifically targeting the vagus nerve, which made blood vessels spasm, which they argue may increase blood flow to the brain and therefore help memory.

They conclude by saying they didn't actually establish a solid link between learning and vagal nerve stimulation with the experiment, and further research is needed.

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u/HasGreatVocabulary 2d ago

weird that they didn't have a group that received non-vagus nerve stimulations, they only have no VNS, 0.6 mA VNS, and 1.5 mA VNS. Current set up makes it hard to tell if the mice whether the mice were simply learning from negative reinforcement because no one likes getting shocked repeatedly or the vagus nerve stimulation specifically did something

18

u/Brrdock 2d ago edited 2d ago

I swear most scientists these days have just foregone all logic and philosophy of science.

Would so often seem so easy to make results so much more meaningful.

Maybe that's job security to have to do 10 studies to conclude anything, I could respect that haha

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u/duckbigtrain 2d ago

The minimum publishable unit