Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation cannot modulate the P3b event-related potential in healthy volunteers

•Acute taVNS does not alter mean amplitude and latency of the P3b cognitive event-related potential in healthy volunteers.•Latency of the P3b and reaction time during the three-stimulus oddball task is affected by repeated testing.•Short-term taVNS cannot modulate the P3b in normal volunteers using stimulation at the individual’s threshold.