Clark K B, Naritoku D K, Smith D C, Browning R A, Jensen R A
Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62901-6502, USA.
Nat Neurosci. 1999 Jan;2(1):94-8. doi: 10.1038/4600.
Neuromodulators associated with arousal modulate learning and memory, but most of these substances do not freely enter the brain from the periphery. In rodents, these neuromodulators act in part by initiating neural messages that travel via the vagus nerve to the brain, and electrical stimulation of the vagus enhances memory. We now extend that finding to human verbal learning. We examined word-recognition memory in patients enrolled in a clinical study evaluating the capacity of vagus nerve stimulation to control epilepsy. Stimulation administered after learning significantly enhanced retention. These findings confirm in humans the hypothesis that vagus nerve activation modulates memory formation similarly to arousal.
与觉醒相关的神经调节物质会调节学习和记忆，但这些物质大多不能从外周自由进入大脑。在啮齿动物中，这些神经调节物质部分通过启动经迷走神经传至大脑的神经信号来发挥作用，而对迷走神经的电刺激可增强记忆。我们现在将这一发现扩展到人类言语学习。我们在一项评估迷走神经刺激控制癫痫能力的临床研究中，对患者的单词识别记忆进行了检查。学习后给予刺激显著增强了记忆保持。这些发现证实了在人类中这样一个假说，即迷走神经激活与觉醒类似地调节记忆形成。
