Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) as a potential therapeutic application for neurodegenerative disorders – A focus on dysautonomia in Parkinson's disease

The understandings of pathogenic processes in major neurodegenerative diseases has significantly advanced in recent years, with evidence showing pathological spread of intraneuronal proteinaceous inclusions as a fundamental factor. In Parkinson's disease (PD), the culprit protein has been identified as α-synuclein as the main component for mediating progressive neurodegeneration. With severe pathology evident in the autonomic nervous system prior to clinical manifestations of PD, pathogenic spread can occur from the peripheral nervous system through key nuclei, such as the anterior olfactory nucl eus and dorsal motor nucleus of the glossopharyngeal and vagal nerves, gradually reaching the brainstem, midbrain and cerebral cortex.
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Source Type: research