Awarded in 2024
Home Department: Bioengineering
Faculty Advisors: Russell Poldrack (Psychology) and Todd Coleman (Bioengineering)

Research Title: Modulation of decision-making using non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation

Gustavo’s study investigates the impact of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on risky decision-making. Previous research suggests that taVNS could indirectly engage the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system. Due to LC-NE's involvement in decision making, Gustavo plans to mimic the LC's activation patterns using taVNS parameters while people perform a risky decision-making task. Pupil dilation and heart rate variability will be used as positive controls for adequate engagement of afferent vagal fibers. Finally, he’ll model taVNS' effects on different decision-making mechanisms, such as the changes in individual subjective value functions or the dynamics of decision processes.