Russo MA, Chakravarthy K, Kinfe TM (2024)
Publication Type: Authored book
Publication year: 2024
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 9780128169964
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-816996-4.00007-1
The vagus nerve, a crucial component of the parasympathetic nervous system, plays a pivotal role in regulating autonomic balance. Originating in the brain stem, it serves as a link between the higher brain centers, autonomic nervous system, central and peripheral nervous systems, immune system, and visceral organs through extensive branching and afferent/efferent innervation. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has proven effective in treating refractory epilepsy and treatment-resistant depression, while also showing promise in managing chronic pain. Its potential analgesic effects have been demonstrated in animals, with comparable effects documented in epilepsy patients with implanted VNS devices. Further support comes from experimental pain studies in healthy humans and neuroimaging studies. Potential benefits have also been explored in primary headache disorders, fibromyalgia, visceral and pelvic pain, and other pain conditions using modern noninvasive systems. Proposed mechanisms for the analgesic effects of VNS include activation of the cholinergic antiinflammatory pathway and modulation of spinal nociceptive transmission. Future research may focus on central sensitization states and pain conditions in which widespread brain-immune interaction is involved.
APA:
Russo, M.A., Chakravarthy, K., & Kinfe, T.M. (2024). Vagus nerve stimulation for the management of chronic pain. Elsevier.
MLA:
Russo, Marc A., Krishnan Chakravarthy, and Thomas Mehari Kinfe. Vagus nerve stimulation for the management of chronic pain. Elsevier, 2024.
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