The Vagus Nerve as a Gateway to Body Ownership: taVNS Reduces Susceptibility to a Virtual Version of the Cardiac and Tactile Rubber Hand Illusion.

ABSTRACT: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has been shown to influence cognitive and emotional function and enhance interoceptive awareness. This study investigates if taVNS effects extend to the experience of body ownership, as measured via susceptibility to the rubber hand illusion (RHI) in a virtual reality setting. The experiment involved 27 participants who underwent real and sham stimulation in two separate sessions while experiencing synchronous or asynchronous visuo-cardiac and visuo-tactile feedback on a virtual arm in place of their own. Results indicated that active compared to sham taVNS decreased sensitivity to the illusion in both cardiac and tactile trials. Specifically, a greater proprioceptive drift difference (PDD) toward the rubber hand was observed for syn

SUBMITTER: Vabba A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11913772 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature