Exciting news in rheumatology! A recent study shows that non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) can significantly lower inflammatory markers in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Recent research validates non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) as a potent bioelectronic tool for suppressing systemic inflammation. A double-blind, sham-controlled trial (n=52) targeted the auricular branch via transcutaneous stimulation of the tragus. The protocol utilized two 5-minute sessions daily. Over 12 weeks, patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed a 42% reduction in TNF-α and a 37% decrease in IL-6. Clinical DAS28 scores improved by 1.8 points, significantly outperforming sham controls. Mechanistically, nVNS activates the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP). Afferent signals to the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) trigger efferent fibers to release acetylcholine, which acts on splenic α7nAChR+ macrophages to suppress the NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome. By increasing heart rate variability (HRV) by 25%, the biological equivalent of your body finally exhaling after a decade of holding its breath. This "neural dimmer switch" provides a precise, drug-free methodology for regulating neuroimmune firestorms. Super exciting times for VNS !!! https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2026.1803982/full

Good afternoon all. I'm interested to learn whether any of you have experience of vagus nerve stimulation after severe brain injuries and whether or not it was beneficial. Any snippets of info would be very much appreciated.

Heartbreak literally broken? Maybe your vagus nerve is ghosting you. Scientists snipped cardiac nerves in mice, mimicking a bad breakup. Their hearts aged faster! Fibrosis spiked, ejection fraction tanked. Ouch. Think clogged highways and grumpy heart cells. The vagus nerve, it seems, whispers sweet nothings (acetylcholine!) that chill out angry inflammatory molecules. No vagus? Inflammation party! But here's the plot twist: electrical zaps jumpstarted those nerves. Fibrosis? Reversed! Like a love song rewinding time. So, boost that vagal tone! Meditate, breathe deep, maybe sing to your heart. A happy vagus = a youthful ticker. Who knew?

For years, CFS researchers have been looking in plasma and blood cells for a pathogenic agent that causes the myriad of symptoms experienced by patients with the condition. However, according to VanElzakker, they may have been looking in the wrong place (plasma) and need to search instead in the tissues of the peripheral and central nervous system. During infection, the sensory vagus nerve sends a signal to the brain to initiate “sickness behavior,” an involuntary response characterized by fatigue, fever, myalgia, depression, and other symptoms that are often observed in patients with CFS. However, VanElzakker proposes that when sensory vagal ganglia or paraganglia are themselves infected with any virus or bacteria, these symptoms would be exaggerated. He notes that many of the symptoms of sickness behavior (such as fatigue, sleep changes, myalgia, cognitive impairment, depression and zinc depletion) are also mediated by proinflammatory cytokines and observed in CFS. Any thoughts? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23790471/

... in Skool 🤓🌟🥰 @Sterling Cooley