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Vagus Nerve

All articles tagged with #vagus nerve

Brain-vagus Link May Explain Why Pain Persists After Injury
science16 days ago

Brain-vagus Link May Explain Why Pain Persists After Injury

A new line of chronic-pain research points to a brain region, the caudal granular insular cortex, and the vagus nerve as key players in whether pain fades after an injury or becomes long-lasting; blocking the pathway early in animals prevents chronic pain, while later intervention can ease established pain. The work emphasizes that pain is not just tissue damage but an active nervous-system state influenced by brain circuits, inflammation, and interoceptive signaling, with taVNS emerging as a potential tool in specific clinical contexts—but findings are preliminary and condition-specific.

via Space Daily|
#brain#chronic-pain#inflammation
Rectal exam unexpectedly slows AFib heartbeat in case report
health23 days ago

Rectal exam unexpectedly slows AFib heartbeat in case report

A 29-year-old man with atrial fibrillation experienced a racing heartbeat at hospital admission. A routine digital rectal exam, combined with a Valsalva maneuver, is thought to have stimulated the vagus nerve and slowed his heart rate to about 80 bpm, with the irregular rhythm resolving and not returning months later. Standard AFib treatments typically involve medications or electrical cardioversion; this rectal-exam approach is not established therapy and requires more research. The patient was also prescribed an anticoagulant to prevent clots.

via Yahoo|
#arrhythmia#atrial-fibrillation#health
Rectal exam unexpectedly halts AFib in a 29-year-old man
health1 month ago

Rectal exam unexpectedly halts AFib in a 29-year-old man

A 29-year-old man in Queens developed sudden atrial fibrillation with a heart rate around 140 bpm. After admission, doctors planned cardioversion but first performed a digital rectal exam to check for GI bleeding before anticoagulation. During the exam, his heart rate slowed to 80 bpm and the AFib rhythm resolved to normal sinus rhythm; Palpitations subsided and he was discharged, with no recurrence at a 3‑month follow-up. The report suggests the rectal exam may have stimulated the vagus nerve via the Valsalva maneuver, increasing parasympathetic activity and slowing heart conduction, potentially counteracting the arrhythmia. Researchers caution it should not replace standard AFib treatments and call for more study to validate this approach.

via Live Science|
#atrial-fibrillation#autonomic-nervous-system#cardioversion
Calm in the Heat: Six Quick Somatic Tools to Regulate During Conflicts
wellness1 month ago

Calm in the Heat: Six Quick Somatic Tools to Regulate During Conflicts

When a conflict triggers the nervous system, rational thinking often shuts down. The article outlines six quick, body-first strategies to shift from reactivity to regulation: take a small step back to create distance; perform a horse flutter breath to release facial tension and interrupt escalation; shake out the body to discharge stress energy; emit a long, audible sigh to activate the parasympathetic system; use a butterfly hug with bilateral tapping to calm the amygdala; and look around (orienting) to reestablish safety. The goal is to create space between stimulus and response so you can choose a thoughtful, not reflexive, reply.

via HuffPost|
#conflict-resolution#emotional-regulation#somatic-therapy
Gut-Brain Signaling Reverses Age-Related Memory Decline in Mice
science2 months ago

Gut-Brain Signaling Reverses Age-Related Memory Decline in Mice

A Nature study shows aging gut microbiomes produce molecules that blunt gut-brain signaling via the vagus nerve, contributing to memory decline in mice. When older microbiomes were transferred to young mice, memory worsened, but antibiotics or a targeted phage against Parabacteroides_goldsteinii restored function. Direct vagus nerve stimulation through gut hormones also reversed memory deficits in old mice, suggesting that age-related memory loss may be driven by body-wide signals and could be reversible with existing or developing therapies, though human applicability remains to be determined.

via scitechdaily.com|
#aging#gut-microbiome#memory-loss
Gut bacteria hitch a ride to the brain via the vagus nerve, mouse study suggests
science2 months ago

Gut bacteria hitch a ride to the brain via the vagus nerve, mouse study suggests

Emory researchers in mouse models of leaky gut and disease show very small numbers of live gut bacteria can reach the brain, with evidence that the vagus nerve serves as the main route; blocking the nerve reduced brain bacterial presence, suggesting a gut-to-brain transmission axis influenced by diet and genetics and potentially reversible by restoring gut integrity. The findings, published in PLOS Biology, are not yet known to occur in humans and the bacteria were present in very low amounts, leaving open questions about their role in inflammation or disease and whether future gut-targeted therapies could affect brain conditions.

via ScienceAlert|
#gut-brain-axis#microbiome#mouse-model
Western diet fats may push gut bacteria into the brain via the vagus nerve
science2 months ago

Western diet fats may push gut bacteria into the brain via the vagus nerve

A study from Emory University in mice shows that a high-fat Western-style diet increases gut permeability, allowing live gut bacteria to travel through the vagus nerve into the brain, which could help explain links between diet and neurological conditions; the movement was tracked using an engineered barcoded bacterium, occurred without bacteria appearing in the blood, and returning to a normal diet reduced brain bacterial load, suggesting reversibility.

via futurity.org|
#brain#gut-bacteria#gut-brain-axis
Gut bacteria may steer aging memory through the brain–gut nerve highway
science2 months ago

Gut bacteria may steer aging memory through the brain–gut nerve highway

In mice, age-related memory decline appears driven by the gut microbiome, especially Parabacteroides goldsteinii, which raises gut metabolites (MCFAs like 3-HOA) that promote inflammation and weaken vagus-nerve signals to the hippocampus, impairing memory formation; boosting vagal activity or blocking MCFA effects reversed the decline, suggesting interoception-based approaches could slow cognitive aging in humans, though confirmation in people is needed.

via Medical News Today|
#aging#gut-microbiome#memory-decline
Gut signals revive aging memory by reactivating the vagus nerve
science2 months ago

Gut signals revive aging memory by reactivating the vagus nerve

A Stanford study in mice links age-related memory loss to gut microbiome changes, specifically an rise in Parabacteroides goldsteinii that triggers gut inflammation and muffles the vagus nerve, dulling hippocampal memory encoding. Remarkably, boosting vagal activity or reshaping the gut microbiome reversed the deficits, suggesting peripheral gut–brain interventions could counteract cognitive aging in humans.

via Neuroscience News|
#aging#gut-microbiome#memory
Sleep deprivation triggers brain–gut signals that damage gut stem cells
health3 months ago

Sleep deprivation triggers brain–gut signals that damage gut stem cells

New research in Cell Stem Cell shows sleep deprivation in mice activates a brain-to-gut signaling cascade via the vagus nerve, triggering a surge of serotonin in the gut that damages intestinal stem cells and impairs the gut’s regenerative capacity. The study links insomnia to gut dysfunction and suggests acetylcholine from the vagus nerve drives serotonin release, highlighting potential therapeutic targets to protect gut health in sleep-disordered individuals.

via Live Science|
#gut-stem-cells#health#inflammatory-bowel-disease
Viral TikTok Trick: The Playful ‘Horse Breath’ That Calmly Revs Down the Nervous System
health3 months ago

Viral TikTok Trick: The Playful ‘Horse Breath’ That Calmly Revs Down the Nervous System

A viral TikTok method called the ‘horse breath’ uses a slow, lip-vibrating exhale to stimulate the vagus nerve, relax the jaw, and shift the body from fight-or-flight to a calmer state. Therapists say it’s a quick, playful reset that can interrupt anxious thoughts; to do it, inhale 3–4 seconds through the nose, exhale with relaxed lips and jaw while the lips vibrate for 5–8 seconds, keep shoulders and face loose, and repeat 3–6 times as needed (use after a long day or before a meeting).

via Bustle|
#breathing-exercise#health#mind-body