Transcutaneous Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Changing the Paradigm for Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation Therapies?

A new therapeutic approach, known as neuromodulation therapy—which encompasses a variety of interventional techniques meant to alter the nervous system in order to achieve therapeutic effects—has emerged in recent years as a result of advancements in neuroscience. Currently used methods for neuromod...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Carola Y. Förster
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Biomolecules
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/14/12/1511
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Summary:A new therapeutic approach, known as neuromodulation therapy—which encompasses a variety of interventional techniques meant to alter the nervous system in order to achieve therapeutic effects—has emerged in recent years as a result of advancements in neuroscience. Currently used methods for neuromodulation include direct and indirect approaches, as well as invasive and non-invasive interventions. For instance, the two primary methods of stimulating the vagus nerve (VN) are invasive VN stimulation (iVNS) and transcutaneous VN stimulation (tVNS). Since the latter is non-invasive, basic, clinical, and translational studies have focused on transcutaneous auricular VN stimulation (taVNS), the primary tVNS therapy, because of its advantages over iVNS, including ease of use, greater accessibility, and a lower side effect profile. taVNS is currently used as a novel neuromodulatory application to treat cardiovascular, mental, and autoimmune diseases. Future applications of this non-invasive neuromodulation technology to conditions like atrial fibrillation (AF) or ischemic stroke are highly likely due to its advancement.
ISSN:2218-273X