Vagus nerve stimulation reduced inflammation and restored cognitive function after injury
For adults over age 65, surgical complications can dampen not only their physical health but also their mental sharpness, with more than half of high-risk cases declining into delirium.
In research published this week in the journal Brain Stimulation, Duke University scientists show in a mouse model that a current treatment for seizures can also reverse brain inflammation, such as inflammation after surgery, and the subsequent confusion or cognitive decline that results.
The therapy involves minimally invasive stimulation of the vagus nerve using small electrical pulses comparable to a cell phone’s vibrations.
The scientists used a Doppler ultrasound to guide the placement of a needle that delivers the electrical pulse, avoiding nearby delicate structures such as the carotid artery. Researchers hope to refine the technique into a completely non-invasive approach to preventing cognitive decline when seniors and other at-risk patients have surgery.
“Delirium is now recognized as the most common complication in older adults after surgery,” said Niccolò Terrando, Ph.D., associate professor of anesthesiology at Duke and the study’s senior author. “For most patients, it lasts a few days and resolves on its own. For some, it can lead to severe complications and even contribute to long lasting cognitive deficits, like dementia.”
Terrando noted that these cognitive complications have a huge impact on quality of life and can be expensive, with health care costs for delirium reaching $164 billion a year according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
“So far, there is no therapy for this kind of cognitive complication after surgery,” Terrando said. Anti-inflammatory drugs have many side effects and work broadly, he said, and they don’t adequately target the inflammation in the brain that scientists believe triggers cognitive complications.
The vagus nerve helps the brain communicate with the heart, lungs, gut and other parts of the body. Vagus nerve stimulators have been surgically implanted in epilepsy patients for more than 20 years to reduce seizures.
In recent years, U.S. doctors have also prescribed at-home, non-invasive stimulators for severe headaches. However, there is not substantial evidence that the devices are stimulating the vagus nerve and not other structures near it, said Warren M. Grill, Ph.D., professor of biomedical engineering at Duke.
For the experimental model, mice with inflammation received one nerve-stimulating treatment lasting several minutes. The researchers monitored for signs of vagus nerve activation, such as a slower heart rate and twitching of muscles around the larynx, and found improved cognitive outcomes and reduced brain inflammation after this treatment.
“This minimally invasive approach is already exceedingly benign, but in the long term it would be desirable to have an entirely non-invasive approach and we are beginning that work,” Grill said.
Learn more: Nerve Stimulation in Mice Suggests New Way to Reduce Delirium After Surgery
The Latest on: Vagus nerve stimulation
[google_news title=”” keyword=”vagus nerve stimulation” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Vagus nerve stimulation
- Make the Most of Entrepreneurship: CEO & Co-founder Roleon April 27, 2024 at 7:29 am
With an industry expected to grow by 9.16% from 2024 to 2028, resulting in a market volume of $275 billion, there are plenty of opportunities for digital health entrepreneurs to make their mark. USA - ...
- Vagus nerve activation of the spleen shows promise to treat infections, Feinstein Institutes researchon April 26, 2024 at 12:19 pm
One of the main roles of the spleen is to help the body’s immune system fight infections. The spleen does this through producing and regulating antibodies – antibody production is negatively affected ...
- 8 things to know, including new therapies for stroke victims at TGH and Jabil's stock price dropon April 26, 2024 at 12:05 pm
The TBBJ editor's weekly news rundown includes a curated round-up of other compelling Tampa Bay area business news.
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation, Activation For Stress Relief: VNS Guide Releasedon April 26, 2024 at 2:17 am
One such stress-reducing solution, which the blog delves into in great detail, is using the Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator. This wearable wellness device, Pulsetto claims, offers a convenient and ...
- Nerve Repair and Regeneration Market Beyond the Horizon Envisioning the Future of Market Size Analysison April 25, 2024 at 9:46 pm
Nerve Repair and Regeneration Market is valued approximately at USD 5.72 billion in 2019 and is anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than 9.15% over the forecast period 2020-2027.
- People Swear by This Simple Ear Trick To Fall Asleep Faster, So I Tried Iton April 25, 2024 at 4:00 am
I tried the viral ear trick to fall asleep faster for seven nights in a row to see if it lives up to the hype.
- Stroke Recovery: A Timelineon April 24, 2024 at 9:00 pm
How much progress a person can make and the timeline for their recovery depend on the type and location of the stroke and the patient’s age and overall health, says Richard Harvey, M.D., clinical ...
- Magnetic microcoils unlock targeted single-neuron therapies for neurodegenerative disorderson April 23, 2024 at 6:06 pm
Researchers deploy an array of microscopic coils to create a magnetic field and stimulate individual neurons. The magnetic field can induce an electric field in any nearby neurons, the same effect ...
- Vagal-nerve pacemaker implanted for first time into ten-month old epilepsy patienton April 22, 2024 at 2:27 am
The device is designed to help those with drug-resistant epilepsy, where traditional treatments fail to control seizures. Pediatric neurosurgery department head Dr. Sergey Abeshaus said that the best ...
via Bing News