Left and right vagus nerve stimulation: historical perspectives, clinical efficacy, and future directions

Neuromodulation has profoundly transformed medical science, offering new treatments for various neurological conditions. Stimulation techniques that target the brain, spinal cord, trigeminal nerve, and vagus nerve (VN) use electrical impulses to modulate neural functions. Among these, vagus nerve st...

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Main Authors: Birendra Sharma, Krysten A. Jones, Robert M. Lober, Candice N. Hatcher-Solis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1609654/full
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author Birendra Sharma
Birendra Sharma
Krysten A. Jones
Krysten A. Jones
Robert M. Lober
Candice N. Hatcher-Solis
author_facet Birendra Sharma
Birendra Sharma
Krysten A. Jones
Krysten A. Jones
Robert M. Lober
Candice N. Hatcher-Solis
author_sort Birendra Sharma
collection DOAJ
description Neuromodulation has profoundly transformed medical science, offering new treatments for various neurological conditions. Stimulation techniques that target the brain, spinal cord, trigeminal nerve, and vagus nerve (VN) use electrical impulses to modulate neural functions. Among these, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is distinguished for its use to stimulate the VN to modulate neural functions. VNS shows promising applications across a wide range of neurological conditions, exemplifying the ongoing evolution of neuromodulation. As VNS continues to prove its efficacy, an important consideration in its application arises over the optimal VN stimulation site due to the bilateral nature of the VN. This review highlights the need for comparative studies of left VNS (L-VNS) and right VNS (R-VNS) to enhance our understanding of neurophysiology. The advantages and limitations of stimulation to the left VN or right VN are examined to potentially lead to more personalized and effective treatment strategies.
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issn 1662-5161
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record_format Article
series Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
spelling doaj-art-e076aef564754eceae67733a1f7315d72025-08-20T03:34:57ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612025-07-011910.3389/fnhum.2025.16096541609654Left and right vagus nerve stimulation: historical perspectives, clinical efficacy, and future directionsBirendra Sharma0Birendra Sharma1Krysten A. Jones2Krysten A. Jones3Robert M. Lober4Candice N. Hatcher-Solis5Cognitive Neuroscience, 711th Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, United StatesOak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, United StatesCognitive Neuroscience, 711th Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, United StatesAV, Inc., Dayton, OH, United StatesDepartment of Neurosurgery, Dayton Children's Hospital, Dayton, OH, United StatesCognitive Neuroscience, 711th Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, United StatesNeuromodulation has profoundly transformed medical science, offering new treatments for various neurological conditions. Stimulation techniques that target the brain, spinal cord, trigeminal nerve, and vagus nerve (VN) use electrical impulses to modulate neural functions. Among these, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is distinguished for its use to stimulate the VN to modulate neural functions. VNS shows promising applications across a wide range of neurological conditions, exemplifying the ongoing evolution of neuromodulation. As VNS continues to prove its efficacy, an important consideration in its application arises over the optimal VN stimulation site due to the bilateral nature of the VN. This review highlights the need for comparative studies of left VNS (L-VNS) and right VNS (R-VNS) to enhance our understanding of neurophysiology. The advantages and limitations of stimulation to the left VN or right VN are examined to potentially lead to more personalized and effective treatment strategies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1609654/fullleft VNSright VNSclinical efficacyepilepsycardiac functiondepression
spellingShingle Birendra Sharma
Birendra Sharma
Krysten A. Jones
Krysten A. Jones
Robert M. Lober
Candice N. Hatcher-Solis
Left and right vagus nerve stimulation: historical perspectives, clinical efficacy, and future directions
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
left VNS
right VNS
clinical efficacy
epilepsy
cardiac function
depression
title Left and right vagus nerve stimulation: historical perspectives, clinical efficacy, and future directions
title_full Left and right vagus nerve stimulation: historical perspectives, clinical efficacy, and future directions
title_fullStr Left and right vagus nerve stimulation: historical perspectives, clinical efficacy, and future directions
title_full_unstemmed Left and right vagus nerve stimulation: historical perspectives, clinical efficacy, and future directions
title_short Left and right vagus nerve stimulation: historical perspectives, clinical efficacy, and future directions
title_sort left and right vagus nerve stimulation historical perspectives clinical efficacy and future directions
topic left VNS
right VNS
clinical efficacy
epilepsy
cardiac function
depression
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1609654/full
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