Vagus Nerve and Yoga
From New Scientist
'Imagine if there were a major highway into the brain that could be safely accessed from elsewhere in the body. That's what vagus nerve stimulation is tapping into.
The vagus nerve is a bundle of neurons connecting the brain to many of the major organs, with nerves running both from the organ to the brain and vice versa. It does a multitude of jobs, including helping to control heart rate, breathing and appetite.
It is possible to wrap electrodes around the nerve in the lower neck and connect these to a small power source implanted in the chest, programmed to turn on and off at regular intervals. Trial and error has shown that altering the frequency and timing of stimulation can affect the brain in different ways.
A stimulator made by US firm Cyberonics is approved in that country for treating severe forms of epilepsy and depression. However, exactly how it works and which parts of the brain it targets is still unclear.
As the Cyberonics device is commercially available and fairly easy to implant, it is being investigated for many different uses. Some people who have had a device implanted have lost weight as a side effect, possibly because stimulation is mimicking the normal messages from our gut to our brain that signal when we are full. Research on pigs published last year showed that vagus nerve stimulation stopped the animals overeating and even made them select healthy food options (Appetite, vol 55, p 245).
If the effects extend to people who are obese, vagus nerve stimulation would look a good option next to stomach stapling, as the operation to do this carries a 0.5 per cent risk of death.'
Yoga is a non intrusive way of stimulating vagus nerve...
'Imagine if there were a major highway into the brain that could be safely accessed from elsewhere in the body. That's what vagus nerve stimulation is tapping into.
The vagus nerve is a bundle of neurons connecting the brain to many of the major organs, with nerves running both from the organ to the brain and vice versa. It does a multitude of jobs, including helping to control heart rate, breathing and appetite.
It is possible to wrap electrodes around the nerve in the lower neck and connect these to a small power source implanted in the chest, programmed to turn on and off at regular intervals. Trial and error has shown that altering the frequency and timing of stimulation can affect the brain in different ways.
A stimulator made by US firm Cyberonics is approved in that country for treating severe forms of epilepsy and depression. However, exactly how it works and which parts of the brain it targets is still unclear.
As the Cyberonics device is commercially available and fairly easy to implant, it is being investigated for many different uses. Some people who have had a device implanted have lost weight as a side effect, possibly because stimulation is mimicking the normal messages from our gut to our brain that signal when we are full. Research on pigs published last year showed that vagus nerve stimulation stopped the animals overeating and even made them select healthy food options (Appetite, vol 55, p 245).
If the effects extend to people who are obese, vagus nerve stimulation would look a good option next to stomach stapling, as the operation to do this carries a 0.5 per cent risk of death.'
Yoga is a non intrusive way of stimulating vagus nerve...
posted by Edward Barker at 2:51 AM
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