Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation and the realm of its therapeutic hopes and physiologic enigmas

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an established treatment option for patients with treatment resistant epilepsy and depression. However, the procedure is invasive and has side-effects. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is a non-invasive alternative. Particularly transcutaneous stimulation at the outer ear is gaining increasing interest. While the scope of therapeutic tVNS applications is expanding, there are still questions regarding the optimal stimulation parameters and site as well as the physiology and pathways of auricular tVNS.
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Editorial Source Type: research