Could electrical implants replace pills for some illnesses?

A pacemaker-liked device that ‘hacks’ the body’s neural circuits could alleviate symptoms of diseases from rheumatoid arthritis to Crohn’s, say researchersA pioneering approach to tackling a host of diseases using an electrical implant could eventually reduce or even end pill-taking for some patients, researchers have claimed.The technology relies on electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve – a bundle of nerve fibres that runs from the brain to the abdomen, branching off to organs including the heart, spleen, lungs and gut, and which relays signals from the body’s organs to the brain and vice versa.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Medical research Science Technology Health Biology Society Source Type: news