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Front Psychol 2019 31;10:64. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

The Second Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.

Depression is a common mental disorder worldwide. Psychological treatments and antidepressant medication are the usual treatments for depression. However, a large proportion of patients with depression do not respond to the treatments. Read More

Front Physiol 2019 31;10:25. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.

Chronic hypertension (HTN) affects more than 1 billion people worldwide, and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Despite decades of promising research, effective treatment of HTN remains challenging. This work investigates vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as a novel, device-based therapy for HTN treatment, and specifically evaluates its effects on long-term survival and HTN-associated adverse effects. Read More

Int J Obstet Anesth 2019 Jan 6. Epub 2019 Jan 6.

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place Box 1010, New York, NY 10029, United States. Electronic address:

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an adjunctive therapy for medically refractory epilepsy and depression. Vagus nerve stimulation is generally well-tolerated, but cardiac arrhythmias or asystole are rare complications that have been reported. This case report describes an obstetric patient who received epidural analgesia and subsequently experienced two episodes of syncope synchronous with stimulation from her VNS device. Read More

PLoS One 2019 13;14(2):e0201212. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, United States of America.

The mechanisms by which noninvasive vagal nerve stimulation (nVNS) affect central and peripheral neural circuits that subserve pain and autonomic physiology are not clear, and thus remain an area of intense investigation. Effects of nVNS vs sham stimulation on subject responses to five noxious thermal stimuli (applied to left lower extremity), were measured in 30 healthy subjects (n = 15 sham and n = 15 nVNS), with fMRI and physiological galvanic skin response (GSR). With repeated noxious thermal stimuli a group × time analysis showed a significantly (p < . Read More

Brain Stimul 2019 Jan 19. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

University Hospital Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University of Bonn, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Germany; Division of Medical Psychology, Germany. Electronic address:

Objective: To assay peripheral inter-ictal cytokine serum levels and possible relations with non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) responsiveness in migraineurs.

Methods: This double-blinded, sham-controlled study enrolled 48 subjects and measured headache severity, frequency [headache days/month, number of total and mild/moderate/severe classified attacks/month], functional state [sleep, mood, body weight, migraine-associated disability] and serum levels of inflammatory markers [inter-ictal] using enzyme-linked immunoassays at baseline and after 2 months of adjunctive nVNS compared to sham stimulation and suitably matched controls.

Results: No significant differences were observed at baseline and after 2 months for headache severity, total attacks/month, headache days/month and functional outcome [sleep, mood, disability] between verum and sham nVNS. Read More

Bioelectron Med (Lond) 2018 May;1(2):151-165

Department of Surgery, Center of Immunology & Inflammation, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07101, USA.

Neuronal stimulation is an emerging field in modern medicine to control organ function and reestablish physiological homeostasis during illness. The nervous system innervates most of the peripheral organs and provides a fine tune to control the immune system. Most of these studies have focused on vagus nerve stimulation and the physiological, cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating the immune system. Read More

Eur J Neurosci 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, 34520, Republic of Korea.

A growing body of evidence shows that the electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve can improve mental illness including depression. Here we investigated whether the vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is involved in regulating the responsiveness of hippocampal neurons in rats under chronic restraint stress (CRS). c-Fos protein signals were detected 2 h after VNS in 5-HT receptor-positive neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) as well as in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). Read More

J Clin Neurosci 2019 Feb 4. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Threemilestone Industrial Estate, Truro TR4 9LD, UK; Exeter Medical School, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro TR1 3HD, UK. Electronic address:

Influential theories propose an important role for the autonomic nervous system in social behaviour and emotion regulation. Difficulties with these capabilities occur in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a neuromodulation technique that stimulates autonomic pathways by means of an electrode implanted around the left vagus nerve in the neck. Read More

Front Hum Neurosci 2018 21;12:533. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Median nerve stimulation (MNS) had been performed in the existing literature to alleviate symptoms of nausea and vomiting. The observed facilitative effects are thought to be mediated by the vagal pathways, particularly the vagus nerve (VN) brainstem nuclei of the dorsal motor nucleus of vagus and nucleus tractus solitarius (DMV-NTS). Sense of smell is one of the major sensory modalities for inducing vomiting and nausea as a primary defense against potentially harmful intake of material. Read More

Micromachines (Basel) 2018 Oct 23;9(11). Epub 2018 Oct 23.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 312 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.

Electrical nerve recording and stimulation technologies are critically needed to monitor and modulate nerve activity to treat a variety of neurological diseases. However, current neuromodulation technologies presented in the literature or commercially available products cannot support simultaneous recording and stimulation on the same nerve. To solve this problem, a new bidirectional neuromodulation system-on-chip (SoC) is proposed in this paper, which includes a frequency-shaping neural recorder and a fully integrated neural stimulator with charge balancing capability. Read More

Biol Psychol 2019 Jan 30;142:80-89. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Worrying is a central component of anxiety disorders. We tested whether non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation reduces negative thought intrusions in high worriers. Worry was assessed with a Breathing Focus Task, which consists of a pre-worry period, a worry induction, and a post-worry period. Read More

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Headache Group, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK

Clin Neurophysiol 2019 Jan 19. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig, Liebigstr. 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.

Objective: Degeneration of nuclei of the brainstem, especially parts of the vagal nuclei complex and the reticular formation, in Parkinson's disease (PD) may in part be responsible for nonmotor signs like obstipation, cardiac dysfunction and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD). The aim of the study was to establish a new blink reflex (BR) variant involving the vagal nuclei complex and the reticular formation and to investigate BR comprehensively using 3 different afferent routes in PD.

Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study in 30 PD patients and 30 age and sex matched healthy controls, BR was elicited by stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (ABVN) and compared to conventional BR variants evoked by the trigeminal and median nerve. Read More

Front Neurosci 2018 9;12:955. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Geriatric Psychiatry, Neurology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany.

JMIR Form Res 2018 Oct 9;2(2):e10257. Epub 2018 Oct 9.

Institute for Health and Behaviour, Faculty of Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.

Background: The experience of psychological stress has not yet been adequately tackled with digital technology by catering to healthy individuals who wish to reduce their acute stress levels. For the design of digitally mediated solutions, physiological mechanisms need to be investigated that have the potential to induce relaxation with the help of technology. Research has shown that physiological mechanisms embodied in the face and neck regions are effective for diminishing stress-related symptoms. Read More

Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2019 Jan 22. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Center for Bioelectronic Medicine, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Donald & Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Manhasset, New York 11030.

Our bodies have built-in neural reflexes that continuously monitor organ function and maintain physiological homeostasis. Whereas the field of bioelectronic medicine has mainly focused on the stimulation of neural circuits to treat various conditions, recent studies have started to investigate the possibility of leveraging the sensory arm of these reflexes to diagnose disease states. To accomplish this, neural signals emanating from the body's built-in biosensors and propagating through peripheral nerves must be recorded and decoded to identify the presence or levels of relevant biomarkers of disease. Read More

Kidney Int 2019 Jan 19. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Division of Nephrology and Center for Immunity, Inflammation, and Regenerative Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. Electronic address:

The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) links the nervous and immune systems and modulates innate and adaptive immunity. Activation of the CAP by vagus nerve stimulation exerts protective effects in a wide variety of clinical disorders including rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease, and in murine models of acute kidney injury including ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). The canonical CAP pathway involves activation of splenic alpha7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR)-positive macrophages by splenic β2-adrenergic receptor-positive CD4+ T cells. Read More

J Vis Exp 2019 Jan 7(143). Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, City College of New York.

Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) may be administered via a novel, emerging neuromodulatory technique known as transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS). Unlike cervically-implanted VNS, taVNS is an inexpensive and non-surgical method used to modulate the vagus system. taVNS is appealing as it allows for rapid translation of basic VNS research and serves as a safe, inexpensive, and portable neurostimulation system for the future treatment of central and peripheral disease. Read More

J Vis Exp 2019 Jan 7(143). Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Universitätsklinikum Bonn AöR, Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an approved neurostimulation therapy. The purpose of the method is to treat patients with therapy-resistant depression (TRD). VNS exhibits antidepressive and stabilizing effects. Read More

Stroke 2019 Feb;50(2):e37

King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.

Stroke 2019 Feb;50(2):e38

Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Trials 2019 Jan 14;20(1):44. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

Division of Pediatric Neurology, Pediatrics Department, Peking University First Hospital, No.1 Xi'an Men Street, West District, Beijing, 100034, China.

Background: Recent clinical observations have reported the potential benefit of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as an adjunctive therapy for pediatric epilepsy. Preliminary evidence suggests that VNS treatment is effective for seizure reduction and mental development in young participants between 3 and 6 years of age who suffer from intractable epilepsy. However, robust clinical evidence for quantifying the difference of the efficacy and safety of VNS treatment in this specific patient population has yet to be reported. Read More

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019 Jan 11;92:148-160. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; VA RR&D Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA.

Electroconvulsive therapy has been used successfully in some individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) whose symptoms have not improved with other treatments. But there are only a few reports. Meanwhile, an array of new neuromodulation strategies, including repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation, trigeminal nerve stimulation, and deep brain stimulation have been developed and applied experimentally in the treatment of other psychiatric disorders. Read More

J Headache Pain 2019 Jan 7;20(1). Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Headache and Pain Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy.

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors notified us that a part of the Figure 3 legend was omitted during proofing stage. Read More

Semin Nephrol 2019 Jan;39(1):85-95

Division of Nephrology and Center for Immunity, Inflammation, and Regenerative Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. Electronic address:

Neuroimmune interaction is an emerging concept, wherein the nervous system modulates the immune system and vice versa. This concept is gaining attention as a novel therapeutic target in various inflammatory diseases including acute kidney injury (AKI). Vagus nerve stimulation or treatment with pulsed ultrasound activates the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway to prevent AKI in mice. Read More

J Anesth 2019 Jan 2. Epub 2019 Jan 2.

Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, Nagano, 390-8621, Japan.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to elucidate normative features of vagal motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) induced by transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) and to determine the influence of functional decline of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) on vagal MEPs during thyroid surgery.

Methods: A total of 54 patients undergoing elective thyroid surgery under general anesthesia were enrolled in this study. Vagal MEPs induced by TES were measured from the vocal cord using one of two types of electrodes (wire type or wide and flat type) mounted on an endotracheal tube. Read More

World Neurosurg 2018 Dec 26. Epub 2018 Dec 26.

Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

Objective: The present study assessed the most common types of lead failures, identified the causes, and discussed the potential procedures for revision surgery after vagus nerve stimulator implantation in patients with epilepsy.

Methods: In a retrospective study during an 8-year period, 13 patients had undergone revision surgery because of lead failure. Lead failure was classified as either lead intrinsic damage or lead pin disengagement from the generator header. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Dec;97(52):e13845

Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation.

Background: Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), as a noninvasive intervention, has beneficial effects on major depressive disorder based on clinical observations. However, the potential benefits and clinical role of taVNS in the treatment of major depressive disorder are still uncertain and have not been systematically evaluated. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of taVNS in treating major depressive disorder. Read More

Brain Stimul 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333, AK, Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, 2300, RC, Netherlands.

Background: Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is a new, non-invasive technique being investigated as an intervention for a variety of clinical disorders, including epilepsy and depression. It is thought to exert its therapeutic effect by increasing central norepinephrine (NE) activity, but the evidence supporting this notion is limited.

Objective: In order to test for an impact of tVNS on psychophysiological and hormonal indices of noradrenergic function, we applied tVNS in concert with assessment of salivary alpha amylase (SAA) and cortisol, pupil size, and electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings. Read More

Behav Res Ther 2019 Feb 19;113:25-31. Epub 2018 Dec 19.

Leiden University, Clinical Psychology Unit, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2300, RB, Leiden, the Netherlands.

People suffering from chronic worries pay excessive attention to emotional information. In this study we examined whether a reduced ability to inhibit attention from fearful faces (i.e. Read More

J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2019 Jan;86(1):52-61

From the Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Burns and Acute Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego Health, San Diego, California (E.C.W., T.W.C., A.B., B.P.E., T.W.C.); and Riverside University Health System Medical Center, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Moreno Valley, California (R.C.).

Background: Trauma/hemorrhagic shock (T/HS) causes a release of proinflammatory mediators into the mesenteric lymph (ML) that may trigger a systemic inflammatory response and subsequent organ failure. Recently, we showed that exosomes in postshock ML are biologically active mediators of this inflammation. Because the specific inflammatory mediators in postshock ML exosomes have yet to be characterized, we hypothesized that T/HS would lead to a distinct ML proinflammatory exosome phenotype that could be identified by proteomic analysis. Read More

J Intern Med 2018 Dec 19. Epub 2018 Dec 19.

Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Excessive chronic inflammation is linked to many diseases and considered a stress factor in humans (Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. Philadelphia: W.B. Read More

Physiol Rev 2019 01;99(1):949-1045

Department of Neurology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences , Little Rock, Arkansas ; and Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Glucose is the long-established, obligatory fuel for brain that fulfills many critical functions, including ATP production, oxidative stress management, and synthesis of neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, and structural components. Neuronal glucose oxidation exceeds that in astrocytes, but both rates increase in direct proportion to excitatory neurotransmission; signaling and metabolism are closely coupled at the local level. Exact details of neuron-astrocyte glutamate-glutamine cycling remain to be established, and the specific roles of glucose and lactate in the cellular energetics of these processes are debated. Read More

Epilepsia Open 2018 Dec 16;3(Suppl Suppl 2):198-209. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

Department of Neurological Surgery University of California Davis California, U.S.A.

Focal epilepsies represent approximately half of all diagnoses, and more than one-third of these patients are refractory to pharmacologic treatment. Although resection can result in seizure freedom, many patients do not meet surgical criteria, as seizures may be multifocal in origin or have a focus in an eloquent region of the brain. For these individuals, several U. Read More

Epileptic Disord 2018 Dec;20(6):535-540

Tampere University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere, Department of Neurology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.

A challenge in treating epilepsy is the accurate documentation of seizure frequency, which is needed in order to assess the benefits of ongoing treatment. We present a 17-year-old girl who underwent video-based monitoring in order to establish an accurate seizure count before and after the implantation of a vagus nerve stimulator to treat refractory epilepsy. The results show a reduction in disabling seizure types after vagus nerve stimulator implantation and highlight the inconsistencies between the reported and actual seizure count in this patient. Read More

J Headache Pain 2018 Dec 18;19(1):120. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

Neurophysiology and Pain Unit, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors notified us o that the Table 1 citation within the legend was not presented as initially requested. Read More

J Cardiovasc Transl Res 2018 Dec 17. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 800 Stanton L Young Blvd Suite, Oklahoma City, OK, 5400, USA.

Low-level transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation at the tragus (LLTS) is anti-adrenergic. We aimed to evaluate the acute effects of LLTS on left ventricular (LV) function and autonomic tone. Patients with diastolic dysfunction and preserved LV ejection fraction were enrolled in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, 2 × 2 cross-over study. Read More

Nat Commun 2018 12 17;9(1):5349. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.

In vivo vagus nerve stimulation holds great promise in regulating food intake for obesity treatment. Here we present an implanted vagus nerve stimulation system that is battery-free and spontaneously responsive to stomach movement. The vagus nerve stimulation system comprises a flexible and biocompatible nanogenerator that is attached on the surface of stomach. Read More

Epilepsy Behav 2018 Nov 4;88S:25-32. Epub 2018 Jul 4.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, CIMIT- 125 Nashua Street, Suite 324, Boston, MA 02114, United States. Electronic address:

Epilepsy is often associated with comorbid psychiatric illnesses that can significantly impact its long-term course. The most frequent of these psychiatric comorbidities is major depressive disorder, which affects an estimated 40% of patients with epilepsy. Many patients are underdiagnosed or undertreated, yet managing their mood symptoms is critical to improving their outcomes. Read More

Can J Neurol Sci 2018 Dec 17:1-7. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

1Division of Neurology,Krembil Brain Institute,University Health Network, Toronto Western Hospital,University of Toronto,Toronto, Ontario,Canada.

A patient with intractable epilepsy, previous right frontal resection, and active vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) developed new onset quasi-continuous twitching around the left eye. Electroencephalography showed no correlate to the orbicularis oculi twitches apart from myographic potentials at the left supraorbital and anterior frontal electrodes. Magnetoencephalography was performed using spatiotemporal signal space separation to suppress magnetic artifacts associated with the VNS apparatus. Read More

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2019 Feb 2;42(2):247-256. Epub 2019 Jan 2.

Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Medical Animal Model Research, Clinical Medical Research Institute, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China.

Background: Transcutaneous stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (AB-VNS) is a potentially noninvasive, inexpensive, and safe approach for vagus nerve stimulation that suppresses the induction and duration of atrial fibrillation and reduces sympathetic nerve outflow in healthy humans. Researchers have not determined whether AB-VNS affects ventricular arrhythmias.

Objective: To evaluate the antiarrhythmic effects of noninvasive AB-VNS on ventricular arrhythmias induced by myocardial infarction (MI). Read More

Neuromodulation 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.

Objectives: Until now, the vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) treatment in epilepsy has consisted of two different modes: normal and magnet stimulation. A new vagus nerve stimulator model (106 AspireSR®, LivaNova, Houston, TX, USA) also allows automatic stimulation (AutoStim). The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of autostimulation on seizure frequencies together with energy consumption. Read More

J Neurosurg Pediatr 2018 Nov 1:1-11. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

1Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto.

OBJECTIVEDrug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) presents a therapeutic challenge in children, necessitating the consideration of multiple treatment options. Although deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been studied in adults with DRE, little evidence is available to guide clinicians regarding the application of this potentially valuable tool in children. Here, the authors present the first systematic review aimed at understanding the safety and efficacy of DBS for DRE in pediatric populations, emphasizing patient selection, device placement and programming, and seizure outcomes. Read More

Am J Manag Care 2018 Dec;24(24 Suppl):S527-S533

electroCore, Inc, Basking Ridge, NJ. Email:

Migraine affects 15% of the population in the United States and is associated with comorbidities, with an estimated economic burden of $78 billion annually. GammaCore is used adjunctively with current standard of care and abortive medications and has shown to be superior in acute treatment of episodic migraine compared to sham. However, the economic impact has not been characterized for this indication. Read More

Am J Manag Care 2018 Dec;24(24 Suppl):S517-S526

electroCore, Inc, Basking Ridge, NJ. Email:

A patient audit was conducted in the UK to evaluate the impact of gammaCore use in multimorbidity patients on quality of life and healthcare resources utilization measures. A total of 233 patients were enrolled and their data was examined over a 1-year period after their gammaCore prescription. Of these patients, 132 (56%) had primary headache disorders while 101 (44%) were patients without a headache disorder (nonheadache patients). Read More

Am J Manag Care 2018 Dec;24(24 Suppl):S507-S516

electroCore, Inc, Basking Ridge, NJ. Email:

GammaCore was cleared by the FDA for the acute treatment of episodic migraine and episodic cluster headache and has 5 Conformité Européenne marks. Data indicate that gammaCore treatment is both safe and effective as an acute treatment for migraine. Current reimbursement policies need to be updated based on the growing body of evidence to reflect the established status of gammaCore that is no longer experimental. Read More

Front Immunol 2018 27;9:2648. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Department of Medicine, Center for Bioelectronic Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

Macrophage cytokine production is regulated by neural signals, for example in the inflammatory reflex. Signals in the vagus and splenic nerves are relayed by choline acetyltransferase T cells that release acetylcholine, the cognate ligand for alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine subunit-containing receptors (α7nAChR), and suppress TNF release in macrophages. Here, we observed that electrical vagus nerve stimulation with a duration of 0. Read More

Neural Regen Res 2019 Jan;14(1):46-50

Medical Devices and Neuromodulation, Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH, USA.

The peripheral nervous system plays a major role in the maintenance of our physiology. Several peripheral nerves intimately regulate the state of the brain, spinal cord, and visceral systems. A new class of therapeutics, called bioelectronic medicines, are being developed to precisely regulate physiology and treat dysfunction using peripheral nerve stimulation. Read More

Brain Stimul 2019 Mar - Apr;12(2):377-379. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Department of Radiology, Guang' anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China. Electronic address:

J Surg Res 2019 Feb 27;234:7-12. Epub 2018 Sep 27.

Division for Endocrine Surgery, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi," University Hospital G. Martino, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.

Background: Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury is the most common and serious complication after thyroid surgery. However, little is known about the temperature threshold leading to RLN injury. In this study, we investigated threshold temperatures that cause RLN injury during thyroid surgery using continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring in swine models. Read More