Leon-Ariza Juan S, Mosquera Mario A, Joy-Arriaga Jose, Fonseca Angelo, Leon-Ariza Daniel S, Gualdron-Leon Mayra A, Bayona-Prieto Jaime, Patel Kunal, Leon-Sarmiento Fidias E
Mediciencias Research Group, Miami, FL, USA.
Miami Neuroscience Institute, Baptist Hospital South Florida, Miami, FL, USA.
Somatosens Mot Res. 2021 Mar;38(1):41-47. doi: 10.1080/08990220.2020.1840346. Epub 2020 Nov 17.
Scalp-recorded evoked potentials elicited by applying afferent electrical stimulation at the tragus region of the human external ear have shown inconsistent results. We aim to disentangle discrepant findings and interpretations, and put forward novel physiological explanations on the origin of the vagus nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (VSEP).
We systematically search and critically appraise in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scielo databases the scientific reports publishing VSEP findings elicited by afferent electrical stimulation at the tragus region from individuals without brain disorders. Eligible studies published from January 2000 to April 2020 were extracted. The following information was identified from each article: number of participants; age; gender; stimulating/recording and grounding electrodes as well as stimulus side, intensity, duration, frequency, and polarity. Information about physiological parameters and neurobiological variables was also extracted. Representative vignettes with novel scalp responses induced by stimulating the tragus were also included to add support to our conclusions.
140 healthy participants were identified from six selected reports. Mean age ranged from 24.3 to 61.5 years. Stimulating and recording aspects were miscellaneous among studies. Scalp responses marked as the VSEP were recorded in 76% of participants, and showed high variability, low validity and poor reproducibility. Age correlated with response latencies. There were not gender differences in scalp response parameters. Cardiovascular function was unaltered by tragus stimulation. Vignettes showed that the VSEP was scalp muscle responses.
VSEP did not fulfil evoked potential guidelines. VSEP corresponded to volume conduction propagating from muscles surrounding scalp recording sites.
通过在人外耳道的耳屏区域施加传入电刺激所诱发的头皮记录诱发电位，其结果并不一致。我们旨在梳理相互矛盾的研究结果和解释，并对迷走神经体感诱发电位（VSEP）的起源提出新的生理学解释。
我们在PubMed、科学网和Scielo数据库中系统地检索并严格评估了有关无脑部疾病个体在耳屏区域进行传入电刺激所诱发的VSEP研究结果的科学报告。提取了2000年1月至2020年4月发表的符合条件的研究。从每篇文章中确定以下信息：参与者数量、年龄、性别、刺激/记录和接地电极以及刺激侧、强度、持续时间、频率和极性。还提取了有关生理参数和神经生物学变量的信息。还纳入了刺激耳屏诱发新的头皮反应的代表性案例，以支持我们的结论。
从六项选定的报告中确定了140名健康参与者。平均年龄在24.3至61.5岁之间。各研究之间的刺激和记录方面各不相同。76%的参与者记录到了标记为VSEP的头皮反应，且这些反应具有高度变异性、低有效性和差的可重复性。年龄与反应潜伏期相关。头皮反应参数在性别上没有差异。耳屏刺激未改变心血管功能。案例显示VSEP是头皮肌肉反应。
VSEP不符合诱发电位指南。VSEP对应于从头皮记录部位周围肌肉传播的容积传导。
