About this Research Topic
Innervation plays a pivotal role in the development and functional control and modulation of tissues and organs. The vagus nerve innervates peripheral directly connecting them to the brain. This brain-body communication highlights the vagus nerve as a naturally designed therapeutic tool for a wide spectrum of both central and peripheral diseases.
From a neuroscientific perspective, the vagus nerve serves as a vital pathway for bi-directional signaling between the brain and peripheral organs. Electrical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been a subject of intense research since its inception in the 19th century, but it only began to gain widespread recognition in the 1990s with FDA approval for treating refractory central nervous system disorders, such as epilepsy and depression. More recently, advances in our understanding of the vagus nerve’s robust global anti-inflammatory properties and the development of non-invasive VNS devices—offering similar efficacy with improved safety profiles compared to invasive methods—have significantly broadened the scope of VNS applications.
This Research Topic aims to highlight the latest trends and applications of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation, promoting new clinical strategies for these innovative non-pharmaceutical therapeutics. Potential areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
• New indications for non-invasive VNS
• Innovations in stimulation modalities, including music, ultrasound stimulation, closed-loop treatment, and multi-modal neuromodulation.
• Applications for new patient populations, including foetuses (pregnant women), infants, the elderly, and underserved low-income populations.
• Development of new types of treatments: preventive, curative, and regenerative therapies.
• Exploring new timing of stimulation, such as nocturnal versus diurnal stimulation and permanent versus triggered (induced) stimulation.
By focusing on these research insights and clinical applications, we aim to further the understanding and impact of vagus nerve stimulation in the field of neuroscience and beyond. We welcome contributions in the form of Original Research Articles, Reviews, Clinical trials, Case reports, study protocol.
Professor Peter Staats is co-founder and CMO for electroCore (TM), co-founder of Alliance of Interventional Pain Physicians, and he is also a consultant for AIS Therapeutics, Medtronic and Biotronic. He holds several patents related to stimulating vagal nerve. The other editors declare no potential conflict of interests.
From a neuroscientific perspective, the vagus nerve serves as a vital pathway for bi-directional signaling between the brain and peripheral organs. Electrical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been a subject of intense research since its inception in the 19th century, but it only began to gain widespread recognition in the 1990s with FDA approval for treating refractory central nervous system disorders, such as epilepsy and depression. More recently, advances in our understanding of the vagus nerve’s robust global anti-inflammatory properties and the development of non-invasive VNS devices—offering similar efficacy with improved safety profiles compared to invasive methods—have significantly broadened the scope of VNS applications.
This Research Topic aims to highlight the latest trends and applications of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation, promoting new clinical strategies for these innovative non-pharmaceutical therapeutics. Potential areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
• New indications for non-invasive VNS
• Innovations in stimulation modalities, including music, ultrasound stimulation, closed-loop treatment, and multi-modal neuromodulation.
• Applications for new patient populations, including foetuses (pregnant women), infants, the elderly, and underserved low-income populations.
• Development of new types of treatments: preventive, curative, and regenerative therapies.
• Exploring new timing of stimulation, such as nocturnal versus diurnal stimulation and permanent versus triggered (induced) stimulation.
By focusing on these research insights and clinical applications, we aim to further the understanding and impact of vagus nerve stimulation in the field of neuroscience and beyond. We welcome contributions in the form of Original Research Articles, Reviews, Clinical trials, Case reports, study protocol.
Professor Peter Staats is co-founder and CMO for electroCore (TM), co-founder of Alliance of Interventional Pain Physicians, and he is also a consultant for AIS Therapeutics, Medtronic and Biotronic. He holds several patents related to stimulating vagal nerve. The other editors declare no potential conflict of interests.
Keywords: vagal stimulation, Brain-Body Communication, Non-Invasive Therapies, Bi-Directional Signaling, VNS
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