Vagus

Can a condition as gnarly and disparate as long COVID be treated without drugs? Social media is buzzing over an experimental therapy that taps the vagus nerve, which acts as the body’s “information superhighway” by carrying crucial signals between the brain and various internal organs. A mild electrical zap to this long cranial nerve triggers a rush of autonomic responses associated with relaxation—and may confer health benefits well beyond this.Researchers are increasingly recognizing that long COVID is as much a…

Recent research challenges conventional exercise science by revealing the significant role of the ‘rest and digest’ vagus nerve in physical activity. This study, utilizing advanced electrical recording techniques in sheep, demonstrates that vagal nerve activity increases during exercise, aiding the heart in pumping more blood. It focuses on the mediator vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), which facilitates coronary vessel dilation. These findings have potential applications in treating heart diseases, particularly in…

Have you felt butterflies in your stomach or hunger pangs? Those “gut feelings” happen thanks to the vagus nerve, which is a superhighway that connects the brain and the gut. In recent years the vagus nerve has become an intriguing target for researchers looking to cure disorders of both the brain and the body. Vagus nerve stimulation—usually achieved with an electrode implanted in the neck to deliver electrical pulses directly to the nerve—is an approved treatment for epilepsy and some forms of depression. Scientists…