Understanding the Underlying Mechanisms Behind VNS-Paired Therapies

Background: Cranial nerves, such as the vagus nerve (CN X), offer an easily accessible pathway to deep brain structures associated with the release of several key neurotransmitters. As a standalone therapy, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) offers mild to moderate clinical benefit, often only after a 6-month latency, however in the past decade, VNS has seen a reemergence as a powerful neuromodulation tool. In the past decade, there has been a push in the development of VNS-paired therapies with animal promising therapeutic applications ranging from anti-inflammation, neuroprotection and recovery, obesity, and PTSD.

Source: BRAIN STIMULATION: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation - January 22, 2019 Category: Neurology Authors: B. Badran Source Type: research