Vagal Nerve Stimulation To Enhance Cognition and Learning

The purpose of this study is to find out whether pairing vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) with cognitive training can improve memory and language learning in people who have previously used VNS therapy for movement rehabilitation after a stroke. VNS has been previously used to support motor recovery after stroke, but its effect on cognitive learning is not yet fully understood. This study is enrolling individuals who already have a VNS device implanted and have successfully completed VNS-assisted movement therapy. The investigators aim to explore whether continuing to use the device during a language learning program may also support memory and cognitive improvement. This is a research study, which means the use of VNS for cognitive enhancement is experimental and not currently part of standard treatment. An exploratory MRI/fMRI component also will assess whether VNS-paired language learning is associated with changes in task-based activation and resting-state functional connectivity in language, memory, salience/arousal, and frontoparietal cognitive-control networks. The information learned may help guide future approaches to stroke rehabilitation and cognitive recovery.