Burger A M, Van der Does W, Thayer J F, Brosschot J F, Verkuil B
Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Biol Psychol. 2019 Mar;142:80-89. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.01.014. Epub 2019 Jan 30.
Worrying is a central component of anxiety disorders. We tested whether non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation reduces negative thought intrusions in high worriers. Worry was assessed with a Breathing Focus Task, which consists of a pre-worry period, a worry induction, and a post-worry period. Ninety-seven high worriers were randomly allocated to receive transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve at the concha (tVNS), or of the earlobe (sham stimulation) throughout the lab session. Participants who received tVNS reported significantly fewer negative thought intrusions during the pre-worry period, but the effects of tVNS after the worry induction were mixed. An exploratory analysis indicated that participants in the tVNS condition were more likely to report negative thought intrusions shortly after the worry induction, but became less likely to do so as the post-worry period went on. No effects of tVNS on RMSSD were observed. These findings provide preliminary indications that tVNS may decrease the occurrence of worrisome thoughts.
担忧是焦虑症的核心组成部分。我们测试了非侵入性迷走神经刺激是否能减少高担忧者的消极思维侵入。通过一项呼吸聚焦任务评估担忧，该任务包括担忧前阶段、担忧诱发阶段和担忧后阶段。97名高担忧者在整个实验过程中被随机分配接受在耳甲处对迷走神经耳支进行经皮电刺激（tVNS），或在耳垂处进行假刺激。接受tVNS的参与者在担忧前阶段报告的消极思维侵入明显较少，但担忧诱发后的tVNS效果不一。一项探索性分析表明，tVNS组的参与者在担忧诱发后不久更有可能报告消极思维侵入，但随着担忧后阶段的持续，这种可能性会降低。未观察到tVNS对RMSSD有影响。这些发现提供了初步迹象表明tVNS可能会减少令人担忧的想法的发生。
