NEUROSURGERY • FEATURED HIGHLIGHT
Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Enhance Cognition and Learning
Drs. Sima Mofakham (Ph.D.), Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research for Neurosurgery, and Chuck Mikell (M.D.), Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Neurosurgery, have launched a groundbreaking study exploring whether invasive vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)—a therapy currently used for epilepsy and stroke rehabilitation—can help adults recovering from stroke learn a new language more effectively.
About the Study
By pairing implanted VNS with structured second-language learning tasks—including phoneme discrimination, vocabulary development, and speech-production exercises—the research team aims to determine whether stimulation can strengthen neural plasticity in brain networks responsible for language acquisition.
The project uses a six-week, spaced-repetition Swahili vocabulary program to examine whether timed bursts of stimulation improve memory consolidation and accelerate learning. Across three research aims, the study will measure behavioral gains in word learning, interplay with cognition and mood, and the neural and psychological mechanisms through which VNS may support recovery.
Why This Matters
If successful, this work would provide the first evidence that implanted VNS can facilitate human language learning—expanding its therapeutic potential beyond traditional motor rehabilitation. The implications could be far-reaching:
- Enhancing language learning in post-stroke patients
- Applying neuromodulation to complex cognitive processes
- Potential benefit for age-related memory decline or early neurodegenerative disease
- Accelerated learning for high-demand fields such as national security, intelligence, and medicine