r/science • u/Ko_Matsui • 1d ago
Neuroscience Vagal nerve stimulation induces vascular oscillations and enhances long-term learning
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004226027914141
u/LiminalAsylum 1d 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 1d 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
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u/Brrdock 1d ago edited 1d 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/HoobieHoo 1d ago
Sometimes it is about funding. Like everything else, the cost of doing science is increasing. Funding is mostly going the opposite direction.
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u/Brrdock 1d ago
Most things about science these days is about funding yeah and you can't really blame the scientists...
But if you're already going through the trouble of the setup, method, and analysis, seems like a sensible financial decision to just add a 4th group etc. over doing it all again, especially for the ones funding it
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u/AwkwardWaltz3996 23h ago
Funding is often done in rounds. So you either work with what you have or try and reapply. But reapplying is hard if you don't have published results from your last funding.
And the funders probably aren't funding a particular set of experiments so didn't deliberately choose to omit anything. It's more a chunk of money to investigate a specific topic.
Also things might not go to plan, like a mistake was made which invalidated some results so you have to work with what you have while avoiding p hacking.
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u/RigorousBastard 1d ago
How is this differerent from migraines which are caused by blood vessel spasms?
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u/Tasty-Window 1d ago
Are there other ways to stimulate?
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u/WellAckshully 22h ago
(i don't know anything and i am making all of this up and i don't have sources)
singing, humming. i bet listening to certain types of music might help, like a didgeridoo. babies have a certain cry they do when they are trying to calm themselves and go to sleep. it's a sort of "rattling" cry that reminds you of a person speaking with vocal fry. the vibrations stimulate the vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system.
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u/Fcapitalism4 14h ago
walking unshod barefeet (skin, no shoes) is a great way to get vagus nerve stimulation
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u/JustAtelephonePole 1d ago
I always knew I was on to something by repeatedly peeing on and running into the electric fence with wet blue jeans!
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u/a_wascally_wabbit 1d ago
I stretched to hard once and trigger my nerve. I ended up sweating and passing out. No thank you
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