Background: Transcutaneous stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (tVNS) was administered to participants diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to improve word-list memory (primary outcome) and other cognitive skills.
Method: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design was used for this trial. Participants with MCI (n = 59) were sorted into one of two sequences: Sham-tVNS or tVNS-Sham.
Cognitive aging has become a public health concern as the mean age of the population is ever-increasing. It is a naturalistic and common process of degenerative and compensatory changes that may result in neurocognitive disorders. While heterogeneous, cognitive aging mostly affects executive functions that may be associated with functional losses during activities of daily living.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe goal of the current study was to learn about the role of cerebral mitochondrial function on cognition. Based on established cognitive neuroscience, clinical neuropsychology, and cognitive aging literature, we hypothesized mitochondrial function within a focal brain region would map onto cognitive behaviors linked to that brain region. To test this hypothesis, we used phosphorous (P) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to derive indirect markers of mitochondrial function and energy metabolism across two regions of the brain (bifrontal, left temporal).
View Article and Find Full Text PDF