The vagus nerve has been called the ‘great wandering protector’ of the body, it’s made up of an intricate neural network that maintains homeostasis and equilibrium in important processes. Vagus is Latin for wandering, and the vagus nerve has earned this name due to its wide distribution traveling from most organs to the brainstem and projecting to other brain regions. Reciprocal neural connections with several of these brain areas serve as a control center that responds to new information...
The process of stimulating the Vagus Nerve with micropulses of electrical current is referred to in a number of different ways. Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) - Typically refers to stimulation of the nerve with a surgically implanted device and electrode. Non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS, taVNS, nVNS, LLTS) - Refers to stimulation of the vagus nerve without penetrating the skin using an external device and surface electrode. ‘tVNS’ stands for Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation and this...
The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) both work in balance and together make up the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which is responsible for many of the bodies autonomic (unconscious) processes. The parasympathetic system has been referred to as `rest and digest` and the sympathetic system to that of `fight or flight`. Activating the PNS will reduce SNS activity and vice versa as these systems work in balance. From a therapeutic standpoint it is beneficial to be able to...
Depression affects millions of people worldwide and constitutes a leading cause of disability. Although pharmacological interventions are available, many of them produce suboptimal outcomes due to high non-responsive rates or intolerable side effects.