Vagus nerve stimulation inhibits harmaline-induced tremor.

ABSTRACT

Excessive olivo-cerebellar burst-firing occurs during harmaline-induced tremor. This system receives rich sensory inputs, including visceral. We hypothesized that electrical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) would suppress harmaline tremor, as measured with digitized motion power in the rat. Cervical vagus nerve stimulation suppressed power in the 8-12-Hz tremor range by 40%, whereas sham stimulation was ineffective. This study raises the possibility that activation of various sensory modalities, as well as visceral, may reduce tremor.