Effects of Transcutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation on Post-Surgical Return to Consciousness, Delirium, and Depression

Who can take part

• Aged > 18 years of age
• Patients undergoing lumbar surgery for degenerative disc disease or spinal stenosis involving two or more levels
• Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score ≥ 18 - accept mild
• Ability to use a keyboard
• Able to understand and communicate in English
• Be able to consent independently
• Women of child-bearing age must be comfortable confirming a negative pregnancy prior to participating in the study
• Must not be involved in any other research intervention study testing neurobehavioral functioning

Who cannot take part

• History of vagotomy (cutting the vagus nerve)
• History of seizure disorder or intracranial hemorrhage
• Other neurological diagnoses or a diagnosis of severe psychiatric disorder (e.g., psychosis) or a reported childhood learning disability
• ECG adhesive allergy
• History of bradycardia, heart block, prolonged QT syndrome, brugada syndrome, heart failure with ejection fraction less than 35% and/or New York Heart Association symptoms
• Age < 18 years of age
• MoCA < 18
• Patients with carotid stenosis
• Patients with aneurysms
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding
• Active addiction history
• Severe aphasia, preventing subject from understanding the protocol and giving written consent
• Patients will be excluded postoperatively if there is neck swelling at the proposed site of left tcVNS