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Psychophysiology
Article . 2025 . Peer-reviewed
License: CC BY NC
Data sources: Crossref
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PubMed Central
Other literature type . 2025
License: CC BY NC
Data sources: PubMed Central
Psychophysiology
Article . 2025
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Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation Enhances Probabilistic Learning

Authors: Resul Çakır; İlkim Büyükgüdük; Petek Bilim; Ataberk Erdinç; Maria Geraldine Veldhuizen;

Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation Enhances Probabilistic Learning

Abstract

ABSTRACT tVNS enhances various memory and learning mechanisms, but there is inconclusive evidence on whether probabilistic learning can be enhanced by tVNS. Here, we tested a simplified version of the probabilistic learning task with monetary rewards in a between‐participants design with left and right‐sided cymba conchae and tragus stimulation (compared to sham stimulation) in a sample of healthy individuals ( n = 80, 64 women, on average 26.38 years old). tVNS enhances overall accuracy significantly ( p = 4.09 x 10 −04 ) and reduces response times ( p = 1.1006 x 10 −49 ) in the probabilistic learning phase. Reinforcement learning modelling of the data revealed that the tVNS group uses a riskier strategy, dedicates more time to stimulus encoding and motor processes and exhibits greater reward sensitivity relative to the sham group. The learning advantage for tVNS relative to sham persists ( p = 0.005 for accuracy and p = 9.2501 × 10 −27 for response times) during an immediate extinction phase with continued stimulation in which feedback and reward were omitted. Our observations are in line with the proposal that tVNS enhances reinforcement learning in healthy individuals. This suggests that tVNS may be useful in contexts where fast learning and learning persistence in the absence of a reward is an advantage, for example, in the case of learning new habits.

Keywords

Adult, Male, Young Adult, Reward, Vagus Nerve Stimulation, Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation, Reaction Time, Special Issue Article, Humans, Female, Probability Learning, Reinforcement, Psychology, Psychomotor Performance

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
2
Top 10%
Average
Average
Green
hybrid
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