Non-invasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation Paired with Stress Exposure in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Non-invasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation (nVNS) is a new device that has promise for the study of vagal nerve physiology as well as clinical application in patients with psychiatric disorders. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can follow exposure to psychological trauma and is associated with intrusive memories, nightmares, avoidance, and problems with sleep and concentration. Exposure to reminders of the traumatic event can activate PTSD symptoms. We and others have shown changes in brain circuits in PTSD, including decreased medial prefrontal and increased amygdala function, as well as increased peripheral sympathetic and inflammatory responses, impaired autonomic tone, and an increased risk for coronary heart disease.

Source: BRAIN STIMULATION: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation - January 22, 2019 Category: Neurology Authors: J. Bremner, N. Gurel, M. Wittbrodt, J. Nye, Z. Alam, I. Herring, S. Ladd, L. Shallenberger, A. Haffer, O. Levantsevych, N. Murrah, M. Huang, Y. Ko, B. Pearce, M. Shandhi, A. Shah, V. Vaccarino, O. Inan Source Type: research