vagus nerve

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vagus nerve

This is a cartoon of a man holding his stomach

·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.

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·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.

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·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.

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·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.

This shows a boy drinking from a water bottle

Featured Neuroscience

·January 27, 2022·5 min read

How Gut Neurons Communicate With the Brain to Control Thirst

A new study sheds light on the gut-to-brain osmolality signaling that regulates thirst, revealing a sensory pathway that mediates the process.

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·June 2, 2021·4 min read

Gut to Brain: Nerve Cells Detect What We Eat

When it comes to hunger and satiety, nerve cells in the vagus nerve fulfill opposing tasks.

This shows a weighing scale and tape measure

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 5, 2021·4 min read

Unwanted Weight Gain or Weight Loss During the Pandemic? Blame Your Stress Hormones

A recent study found 42% of participants gained, on average, 29 lb of unwanted weight during the pandemic, with people gaining 1.5lb per month. Researchers say a combination of stress, hormones, and dwindling motivation to exercise during the lockdowns may be to blame.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·October 13, 2020·4 min read

Hunger Hormone Impacts Memory

The hunger hormone ghrelin doesn't just influence where and when animals eat, it also appears to have an impact on memory. Disrupting signaling of ghrelin to the vagus nerve caused rats to forget they had just eaten, even though the animals remembered they had just had access to food. Findings suggest disrupted ghrelin signaling could negatively impact episodic memory.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 3, 2020·3 min read

Earbud-like nerve stimulator shows promise for relieving indigestion

For the 15% of American adults who suffer from frequent indigestion or functional dyspepsia, a new, non-invasive treatment may provide some relief. Respiratory-gated Auricular Vagal Afferent Nerve Stimulation (RAVANS), a form of taVNS, delivers short pulses of painless electrical current to the vagus nerve in tune with respiratory rhythms. The device can modulate the stomach's response to food ingestion, which is often impaired in those with functional dyspepsia.

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