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vagus nerve

·May 6, 2025·7 min read

Vagus Nerve Stimulation Erases PTSD

A pioneering clinical study found that pairing vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) with traditional therapy eliminated PTSD diagnoses in all participants up to six months post-treatment. The trial combined prolonged exposure therapy with brief bursts of VNS via an implanted device, enhancing neuroplasticity and sustaining remission.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 17, 2025·4 min read

Vagus Nerve Signals Link Diet to Socio-Economic Background

New research reveals that the vagus nerve, which helps regulate appetite, interacts with socio-economic status to influence eating behavior. In a chocolate tasting study, participants from higher socio-economic backgrounds showed stronger alignment between their internal hunger signals and food intake.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 11, 2025·3 min read

Gut Microbiome Regulates Brain Signals Through the Vagus Nerve

New research provides direct evidence that the gut microbiome communicates with the brain through the vagus nerve. Using germ-free mice, scientists observed significantly reduced vagal nerve activity, which returned to normal after introducing gut bacteria.

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·October 9, 2024·6 min read

Vagus Nerve Stimulation Can Boost Perceptual Learning

New research demonstrates that stimulating the vagus nerve enhances perceptual learning, allowing animals to better distinguish subtle sensory differences over time. In the study, mice trained to differentiate tones improved more when their vagus nerve was stimulated, surpassing performance plateaus seen in unstimulated mice. This stimulation activated regions in the brain associated with attention, memory, and neuroplasticity, suggesting it might enhance adaptability to new experiences.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 1, 2024·4 min read

Vagus Nerve Signals Regulating Heart Function Discovered

Researchers have isolated the electrical activity of individual neurons in the vagus nerve responsible for regulating cardiovascular function in humans. By identifying neurons that fire in sync with the heartbeat, scientists can now study how these neurons monitor or control heart activity.

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Featured Neuroscience

·November 1, 2022·5 min read

The Neural Pathways for Vomiting After Eating Infected Food

After eating contaminated food, toxins activate the release of serotonin by the enterochromaffin cells on the lining of the intestinal lumen. The serotonin binds to receptors on vagal sensory neurons in the gut, transmitting signals along the vagus nerve to neurons in the dorsal vagal complex, inducing retching behaviors.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 7, 2022·6 min read

Cravings for Fatty Foods Traced to Gut-Brain Connection

Fat entering the intestines triggers a signal that is conducted across the neurons and to the brain, driving the desire for fatty foods.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 6, 2022·4 min read

Stimulation of the Vagus Nerve Strengthens the Communication Between the Stomach and the Brain

Non-invasive stimulation of the vagus nerve can help strengthen communication between the stomach and brain within minutes.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 28, 2022·4 min read

Study Provides Better Insight Into the Vagus Nerve’s Link to the Brain

Using stimulation, researchers found a direct connection between the vagus nerve and learning centers of the brain. Vagus nerve stimulation, they discovered, increases learning in a healthy nervous system.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 31, 2022·3 min read

Nerve Stimulation Promotes Resolution of Inflammation

Electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve promotes healing in those with acute inflammation by shifting the balance between inflammatory and anti-inflammatory molecules.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 20, 2022·4 min read

When Severe Infection Causes Long-Term Mood Disorders

The activation of a neural circuit comprising of the central nucleus of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in the first hours following sepsis infection induced anxiety behaviors in mice two weeks after the infection cleared. The behaviors mimicked the PTSD symptoms patients experience following sepsis infection.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 27, 2022·7 min read

Revealing Communications Between Brain and Body

Study reveals how different signals in the brain are coded in the vagus nerve, finding three key features that are independently coded by vagal sensory neurons.