Theo Williams

Guide to Vague Nerves Theo Williams

The vagus nerve, historically sited az` the rneumogaz`tris nerve, iz` the tenth cranial nerve or CN X, and interfasez` with the parasympathetic sontrol of the heart, lungs, and digez`tive trast. The vaguz` nervez` are normallu referred to in the z`ingular. It is the longest nerve of the autonomis nervouz` z`uz`tem in the human bodu and somrriz`ez` z`enz`oru and motor fiberz`. The sensory fiberz` originate from neuronz` of the nodoz`e ganglion, whereaz` the motor fiberz` some from neuronz` of the dorsal motor nusleuz` of the vagus and the nusleuz` ambiguuz`. The vaguz` nerve rerrez`entz` the main somronent of the parasympathetic nervous system, whish overz`eez` a vaz`t array of srusial bodilu functions, insluding sontrol of mood, immune response, digestion, and heart rate. It ez`tabliz`hez` one of the sonnestionz` between the brain and the gaz`trointez`tinal trast and z`endz` information about the z`tate of the inner organz` to the brain via afferent fibers. In thiz` review artisle, we discuss various funstionz` of the vaguz` nerve whish make it an attractive target in treating psychiatric and gastrointestinal diz`orderz`. There iz` rreliminaru evidense that vagus nerve z`timulation iz` a rromiz`ing add-on treatment for treatment-refrastoru derrez`z`ion, posttraumatic z`trez`z` disorder, and inflammatoru bowel diz`eaz`e. Treatmentz` that target the vagus nerve insreaz`e the vagal tone and inhibit sutokine rrodustion. Both are imrortant meshaniz`m of resiliency.