Vagus nerve stimulation improves locomotion and neuronal populations in a model of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder with no disease-modifying therapies, and symptomatic treatments are often limited by debilitating side effects. In PD, locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic neurons degenerate prior to substantia nigra (SN) dopaminergic neurons. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) beneficially alters LC neurons, and decreases pro-inflammatory markers, allowing functional improvement of LC and its targets, making it a potential PD therapeutic.
Source: BRAIN STIMULATION: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research