Under Construction
Subjects to be included:
Neurological disorders most Frequently reported in  primary care (WHO)
World Health Organisation (WHO) Atlas (2004) -
   www.who.int/mental_health/neurology/neurogy_atlas_lr.pdf
world	US	literature
63%	Cardiovascular disease (Stroke, ...)
20%	Parkinson's disease
74%	Headache - Migraine
45%	Neuropathies (attributable to diabetes, alcohol, nutritional deficiencies and entrapment)
24%	Traumatic Brain Injury
34%	Vertebral disorders
23%	Alzheimer's disease and other dementias
26%	Neuroinfections
73%	Epilepsy
		43%	Multiple sclerosis
72%	Cerebrovascular diseases (stroke, 
Brain aneurysm - an abnormal widening or ballooning of a portion of an
artery due to weakness in the wall of the blood vessel.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke www.ninds.nih.gov/
See also Ailments - Treatment on the mental page

Vagus Nerve:
The vagus nerve does not go thru the spinal cord, but from the medula (part of the brainstem) between the internal carotid artery and the internal jugular vein in the neck, to the chest and abdomen. It controls swallowing, gag reflex and speech and organs such as the heart and digestive tract.
See Vagus nerve in neuroanatomy.

Vasovagal syncope (fainting)

Excessive activation of the vagal nerve during, which is a parasympathetic overcompensation of a strong sympathetic nervous system response associated with stress, can also cause vasovagal syncope (fainting) because of a reduction in heart rate (bradycardia) and drop in blood pressure, as blood vessels in the legs dilate.

This can have a variety of provocations:

  • Pressing upon certain places on the throat, sinuses, and eyes, also known as vagal reflex stimulation when performed clinically. This can happen with a routine eye examination.
  • Giving or receiving a needle immunization
  • Sight of blood
  • Hyperthermia, a prolonged exposure to heat
  • High altitude
  • Prolonged standing with legs in a locked position.
  • Intense laughter
See others at Vasovagal response - Wikipedia
In people with vasovagal episodes, the episodes are typically recurrent, usually happening when the person is exposed to a specific trigger. The initial episode often occurs when the person is a teenager, then recurs in clusters throughout his or her life. See: medterms.com

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy:
In July 2005, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the use of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy as an adjunctive long-term treatment for chronic or recurrent Major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults experiencing a major depressive episode (MDE) who have not responded adequately to at least four trials of antidepressant therapy.

VNS is administered using a pacemaker-like multiprogrammable bipolar pulse generator implanted in the left chest wall, where it delivers an electrical signal through an implanted lead that is wrapped around the left vagus nerve in the neck.
The device will stimulate the vagus nerve with a specified output current at the selected interval, (eg 1.0 milliAmp,) once every 5 minutes, 24 hours/day. Patients are provided with a magnet that is capable of turning the device off, if needed.

Most side effects were involving the implantation and were resolved within 30 days.

See: Vagus nerves - Medical Look Human Anatomy


Links:
Ailments - Treatment on the mental page
Neuro Anatomy
Cognitave - Vagus nerves - Medical Look Human Anatomy
Return to Health

last updated 11 May 2010