Effect of vagus nerve stimulation on creativity and cognitive flexibility

Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B
Georges A GhacibehKenneth M Heilman

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether vagus nerve stimulation influences cognitive flexibility and creativity. Ten subjects, in whom vagus nerve stimulators had been implanted for the treatment of intractable seizures, performed tasks that assessed cognitive flexibility (solving anagrams), creativity (Torrance Test), and memory (Hopkins Verbal Learning Test) during actual and sham vagus nerve stimulation. Vagus nerve stimulation impaired cognitive flexibility and creativity, but these results could not be explained by the induction of a general encephalopathy because VNS did not impair learning and improved retention. The means by which vagus nerve stimulation impairs cognitive flexibility and creative thinking is probably related to increased activity of the locus coeruleus-central adrenergic system that increases the signal-to-noise ratio and improves the brain's ability to attend to sensory input, but decreases its ability to recruit large-scale networks.

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Citations

Feb 3, 2016·Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B·Sarah Zubkov, Daniel Friedman
Sep 6, 2011·Brain and Cognition·Paul S FosterValeria Drago
Mar 8, 2011·Sleep Medicine·Valeria DragoRaffaele Ferri
Jun 10, 2008·Behavioural Brain Research·Mijail Demian Serruya, Michael J Kahana
Mar 24, 2016·Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology : the Official Journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists·Kenneth M Heilman
May 27, 2014·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Kristl VonckPaul Boon
Oct 18, 2014·Frontiers in Psychology·Robert M Bilder, Kendra S Knudsen
Jul 31, 2020·Experimental Psychology·Maria MeierJens C Prüssner
Jun 13, 2020·Frontiers in Psychology·S Victoria JaqueKristin Jacobs
Aug 28, 2020·Frontiers in Psychology·Albertyna Paciorek, Lina Skora
Sep 13, 2020·Journal of Personalized Medicine·James Douglas BremnerOmer T Inan
Dec 4, 2019·Brain Research Bulletin·A BroncelJ Konopacki
Apr 15, 2020·Brain Stimulation·Devin AdairMarom Bikson
Sep 8, 2020·Seminars in Pediatric Neurology·David Q Beversdorf
Apr 25, 2021·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Yue WangAilin Luo
Sep 1, 2021·Expert Review of Medical Devices·Hilmar P SigurdssonAlison J Yarnall

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