Non-Invasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation in Veterans With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI)
VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are important conditions for the Veterans Administration (VA) that frequently occur together in combat Veterans from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. In many Veterans these become chronic, raising the risk the burden of neurotrauma can worsen over time. This study will examine a new intervention called non-invasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation (nVNS) and its effects on memory and symptoms of PTSD and mTBI as well as brain and physiology in Veterans with mTBI and PTSD.
Description
This projects will assess the effects of non-invasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation (nVNS) on neurobiology and cognition in combat Veterans with mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) and co-morbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the performance of stressful tasks (traumatic scripts, mental arithmetic) and verbal declarative memory tasks using measurement of memory performance, peripheral inflammatory markers in blood (IL6) and cardiovascular responses using wearable gated sensing devices and electro- and seismocardiography, as well as brain response (anterior cingulate, hippocampus) measure…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–55 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Veterans with mTBI and PTSD Exclusion Criteria: * amnesia for the inciting event lasted longer than 24 hours * Glasgow Coma Scale Score after 30 minutes was less than 13 * loss of consciousness more than 30 minutes * positive pregnancy test * meningitis or other neurological disorder other than mTBI * alcohol or substance abuse use disorder based on the SCID within the past 12 months * current or lifetime history of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, anorexia nervosa or bulimia, based on the SCID * active suicidal ideation based on criteria outl…
Interventions
- Devicesham stimulation
non invasive vagal nerve stimulation
- DevicenVNS
active vns stimulation
Location
- Atlanta VA Medical and Rehab Center, Decatur, GADecatur, Georgia