Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation modulates adaptive empathic learning under uncertainty

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) has emerged as a promising tool for modulating interoception and social cognition, yet its effects on adaptive social learning remain unexplored. This study investigates the impact of taVNS on social reinforcement learning under uncertainty using an adaptive empathy task. Participants (N = 68) were assigned to either active or sham stimulation groups. During the task, participants learned the emotion regulation preferences (reappraisal or distraction) of a virtual character under stable and volatile conditions. Behavioural data were modelled using the Hierarchical Gaussian Filter (HGF), capturing learning rates and belief updates across different levels of uncertainty. While taVNS did not influence overall task accuracy or mean learning rates, it enhanced adaptability to volatile conditions, reflected in greater learning rate modulation of other's emotion regulation preferences between stable and volatile phases. Regression analyses revealed that individual differences in empathic concern and interoceptive sensibility interacted with taVNS effects, further modulating learning parameters. These findings suggest that taVNS modulates adaptive learning by enhancing sensitivity to environmental volatility. This study highlights the therapeutic potential of taVNS for modulating social cognition and adaptability to uncertainty, with implications for interpersonalised psychiatry.