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Timing Is Key: Improving Vagus Nerve Therapy

by Dr. Navapriya S on Jan 29 2025 12:37 PM
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Timing electrical stimulation to natural body rhythms, like heartbeat and breath, could lead to better treatment outcomes for those with neurological disorders.

Timing Is Key: Improving Vagus Nerve Therapy
Medication isn't always required. Nerve stimulation can also be used to treat a variety of health issues, such as neurological disorders, chronic pain, and inflammation. For instance, electrodes that are affixed to the ear can be used to stimulate the vagus nerve. This technique is sometimes called an "electric pill."
Vagus nerve stimulation, however, is not always effective as intended. This can now be improved, according to a study done by TU Wien (Vienna) in collaboration with the Vienna Private Clinic. Experiments show that when electrical stimulation is timed to the body's natural rhythms, such as breathing and heartbeat, the result is excellent(1 Trusted Source
Personalized auricular vagus nerve stimulation: beat-to-beat deceleration dominates in systole-gated stimulation during inspiration - a pilot study

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).

Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Our bodies depend on the vagus nerve, which is the longest nerve in the parasympathetic nervous system, which is crucial for the accurate regulation of internal organs and blood flow.

It also aids in recuperation and the recharging of the body's own reserves. Small electrodes in the ear can be used to activate the vagus nerve, stimulate the brain, and affect other bodily systems since a branch of the vagus nerve also runs straight from the brain into the ear.

“However, it turns out that this stimulation does not always produce the expected results,” says Prof Eugenijus Kaniusas from the Institute of Biomedical Electronics at TU Wien. “The electrical stimulation does not affect the nervous system at all times. You could say that the brain is just not always listening. It's as if there is a gate to the control centre of the nervous system that is sometimes open and then closed again, and this can change in less than a second.“

Five people have now been examined in a pilot study. Their vagus nerve was electrically activated to lower their heart rate. It is already known from previous studies that heart rate is a potential indicator of whether stimulation therapy is beneficial or not.

Importance of Timing in Vagus Nerve Stimulation

It was shown that the temporal connection between the stimulation and the heartbeat plays a decisive role. If the vagus nerve is stimulated at a rhythm that is not synchronised with the heartbeat, hardly any effect can be observed. However, if the stimulation signals are always applied when the heart is contracting (during systole), a strong effect can be observed – much stronger than if stimulation is applied during the relaxation phase of the heart, diastole.

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Breathing is also important in this context: the stimulation was significantly more effective during the inhalation phase than during the exhalation phase.

“Our results show that synchronising vagus nerve stimulation with the heartbeat and breathing rhythm significantly increases effectiveness. This could help to improve the success of treatment for chronic illnesses, especially for those who have not previously responded to this therapy for reasons that are as yet unexplained,” says Eugenijus Kaniusas.

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If nerve stimulation can be customised electronically so that it is tailored to the body's rhythms at any given time, it should be possible to achieve significantly greater successes than has been possible to date. Future studies should examine larger and clinically relevant patient groups and develop even more precise algorithms in order to be able to tailor the stimulation even more precisely to individual needs.

“This technology could be an effective and non-invasive way of modulating the autonomic nervous system in a targeted and gentle manner - a potential milestone in the neuromodulatory treatment of various chronic diseases,” believes Dr Joszef Constantin Szeles from the Vienna Private Clinic.

Reference:
  1. Personalized auricular vagus nerve stimulation: beat-to-beat deceleration dominates in systole-gated stimulation during inspiration - a pilot study- (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1495868/full)


Source-Eurekalert


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