tVNS, Motivation, and Insulin Sensitivity

Disturbances in energy metabolism significantly increase the risk of developing major depressive disorder (MDD), especially in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Insulin sensitivity may particularly impair reward anticipation and motivational processes, contributing to anhedonia, a core symptom of depression. Preclinical and clinical studies highlight the vagus nerve as a critical pathway mediating metabolic signals between the body and the brain, influencing motivational and affective states. The present study aims to evaluate whether acute transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) improves motivation and mood and whether individual differences in insulin sensitivity modulate these improvements. The investigators plan to recruit 60 patients with MDD and 60 control participants matched for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI), covering a wide BMI range (up to 40 kg/m²) and insulin sensitivity (including patients with type 2 diabetes). Participants will undergo comprehensive metabolic assessments, behavioral testing of reward anticipation, motivation, consummation, and learning, and ecological momentary assessments (EMA) coupled with continuous glucose monitoring to assess real-world motivational behavior and glucose dynamics. Furthermore, participants will undergo two neuroimaging sessions, involving both task-free and task-based functional MRI, during concurrent taVNS or sham stimulation, implemented in a randomized, single-blinded, crossover design. This stu…

This description comes directly from the study's public registry record.

Nils B Kroemer, Prof. Dr.  ·  +49 228 287 11151  ·  nkroemer@uni-bonn.de

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