Current instead of "chemistry"
An unusual way to keep working for more than a day has been invented
American scientists have tested a portable device that, by passing an electric current to the vagus nerve through the skin of the neck, stimulates brain activity and relieves fatigue in people who have been without sleep for a long time. The description is given in the journal Communications Biology (McIntire et al., Cervical transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (ctVNS) improves human cognitive performance under sleep deprivation stress).
A volunteer pilot demonstrates the use of a portable electrical stimulator. A drawing from an article in Communications Biology.
Fatigue causes a slowdown in reaction and a decrease in attention, which makes it a serious problem for workers whose work is associated with a long irregular working day – doctors, drivers, pilots. Mistakes made by representatives of these professions pose a huge danger to the lives of many people.
Caffeine or other chemical stimulants are usually used to combat fatigue. They can be effective in some cases, but doctors do not recommend them for permanent use. Therefore, scientists are looking for new non-drug ways to combat fatigue. One of them – noninvasive electrical neuromodulation – has recently shown promising results.
Scientists from the US Air Force Research Laboratory led by Lindsey McIntire decided to test whether the commercially available gammaCore device, previously approved for the treatment of migraines and headaches by applying an electric current through the skin, could be used to reduce fatigue by stimulating the vagus nerve.
It is known that the vagus nerve transmits signals between the brain, digestive system and several key organs, largely determining a person's mood. It has previously been shown that stimulation of the vagus nerve by electric current improves memory and learning ability.
The authors gathered a group of volunteers from 40 US Air Force servicemen who did not sleep for 34 hours. Nine times at certain intervals, scientists tested their ability to remain alert and perform several tasks simultaneously. 12 hours after the start of the experiment, one group of participants was given the opportunity to use an electrostimulator, and the other was given a placebo device that simulates signaling.
The researchers found that those who received vagus nerve stimulation performed better on focusing tasks and demonstrated a better ability to perform multiple tasks. They also reported less fatigue and more energy than those who received placebo impulses. These effects peaked 12 hours after the start of stimulation, and in general, with the help of a new device, sleep-deprived pilots managed to maintain vigilance for 19 hours.
According to the authors, vagus nerve stimulation using a portable device can be a simple and safe method of reducing the negative effects of sleep deprivation with fewer side effects than caffeine or pharmacological intervention.
Scientists suggest that other types of non-invasive neuromodulation may also be effective in mitigating the negative effects of fatigue on cognitive abilities and mood, but more research is needed for this. The authors plan to continue working to check whether the device they created can be used to help people with sleep disorders in general.
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