OBJECTIVE: The trigeminal autonomic reflex plays an important role in primary headache syndromes. Noninvasive vagal nerve stimulation (nVNS) may be an effective modulator of this reflex. METHODS: Twenty-two healthy volunteers underwent kinetic oscillation stimulation (KOS) of the left nostril as a reliable trigger of the trigeminal autonomic reflex. Previous to KOS, left cervical nVNS, sham simulation, or no stimulation was applied. Lacrimation was quantified using the standardized Schirmer ll test. RESULTS: Treatment with cervical nVNS significantly reduced lacrimation between no stimulation and nVNS on the ipsilateral side (minute 5: p = 0.026, ηp2 = 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.39-18.04; no stimulation: minute 5, 14.4 ± 9.3 mm; nVNS: minute 5, 4.7 ± 8.6 mm, mean ± standard deviation) as well as between sham stimulation and nVNS (minute 5: p = 0.030, ηp2 = 0.85, 95% CI = 1.04-17.24; sham: minute 5, 13.9 ± 6.4 mm). On the contralateral side, no significant increase between baseline and KOS was observed for nVNS (minute 5: p = 0.614, d = 0.12, 95% CI = -7.09 to 4.31; minute 5, 1.4 ± 11.5 mm) compared to both sham stimulation (minute 5: p = 0.023, d = 0.57, 95% CI = -11.46 to -0.96; minute 5, 6.2 ± 10.9 mm) and no stimulation (minute 5: p < 0.030, d = 0.62, 95% CI = -13.45 to -0.81; minute 5, 7.1 ± 11.4 mm). INTERPRETATION: Cervical nVNS resulted in a robust bilateral reduction of provoked lacrimation. This effect could be mediated either by direct bilateral activation of structures such as the nucleus of the solitary tract or by a top-down modulation via the hypothalamus. Ann Neurol 2018;84:886-892.
OBJECTIVE: The trigeminal autonomic reflex plays an important role in primary headache syndromes. Noninvasive vagal nerve stimulation (nVNS) may be an effective modulator of this reflex. METHODS: Twenty-two healthy volunteers underwent kinetic oscillation stimulation (KOS) of the left nostril as a reliable trigger of the trigeminal autonomic reflex. Previous to KOS, left cervical nVNS, sham simulation, or no stimulation was applied. Lacrimation was quantified using the standardized Schirmer ll test. RESULTS: Treatment with cervical nVNS significantly reduced lacrimation between no stimulation and nVNS on the ipsilateral side (minute 5: p = 0.026, ηp2 = 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.39-18.04; no stimulation: minute 5, 14.4 ± 9.3 mm; nVNS: minute 5, 4.7 ± 8.6 mm, mean ± standard deviation) as well as between sham stimulation and nVNS (minute 5: p = 0.030, ηp2 = 0.85, 95% CI = 1.04-17.24; sham: minute 5, 13.9 ± 6.4 mm). On the contralateral side, no significant increase between baseline and KOS was observed for nVNS (minute 5: p = 0.614, d = 0.12, 95% CI = -7.09 to 4.31; minute 5, 1.4 ± 11.5 mm) compared to both sham stimulation (minute 5: p = 0.023, d = 0.57, 95% CI = -11.46 to -0.96; minute 5, 6.2 ± 10.9 mm) and no stimulation (minute 5: p < 0.030, d = 0.62, 95% CI = -13.45 to -0.81; minute 5, 7.1 ± 11.4 mm). INTERPRETATION: Cervical nVNS resulted in a robust bilateral reduction of provoked lacrimation. This effect could be mediated either by direct bilateral activation of structures such as the nucleus of the solitary tract or by a top-down modulation via the hypothalamus. Ann Neurol 2018;84:886-892.
Authors: Ilse F de Coo; Juana Ca Marin; Stephen D Silberstein; Deborah I Friedman; Charly Gaul; Candace K McClure; Alok Tyagi; Eric Liebler; Stewart J Tepper; Michel D Ferrari; Peter J Goadsby Journal: Cephalalgia Date: 2019-06-10 Impact factor: 6.292
Authors: D J H A Henssen; B Derks; M van Doorn; N C Verhoogt; P Staats; K Vissers; A M Van Cappellen van Walsum Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2019-08-05 Impact factor: 4.379
Authors: Hans-Christoph Diener; Peter J Goadsby; Messoud Ashina; Mohammad Al-Mahdi Al-Karagholi; Alexandra Sinclair; Dimos Mitsikostas; Delphine Magis; Patricia Pozo-Rosich; Pablo Irimia Sieira; Miguel Ja Làinez; Charly Gaul; Nicholas Silver; Jan Hoffmann; Juana Marin; Eric Liebler; Michel D Ferrari Journal: Cephalalgia Date: 2019-09-15 Impact factor: 6.292