Why study mechanisms of brain stimulation therapies? To modulate the right neurons, in the right way, at the right time

Clinical applications of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) are burgeoning, but mechanistic work lags behind. In this issue of Neuron, Bowles and colleagues show that VNS timed with positive reinforcement improves motor learning and cortical function by a cholinergic mechanism.

Automated summary

This article investigates the mechanistic aspects of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in clinical applications and finds that VNS timed with positive reinforcement improves motor learning and cortical function through a cholinergic mechanism.