Don’t forget, you too can acquire a super memory
I’ve been interested in learning techniques for a few years now. I had to do a lot of memorizing in college (Biochemistry) and in Medical School and I had lots of tricks. But I’ve learned some new ones and can only wish that I had some of the resources available now. Memory castle, is the…
Read MoreA novel controller based on state-transition models for closed-loop vagus nerve stimulation: Application to heart rate regulation.
Complicated system of feedback for implanted vagus nerve stimulators. Posted for the record. PLoS One. 2017 Oct 27;12(10):e0186068. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186068. eCollection 2017. A novel controller based on state-transition models for closed-loop vagus nerve stimulation: Application to heart rate regulation. Romero-Ugalde HM1,2, Le Rolle V1,2, Bonnet JL3, Henry C3, Bel A4, Mabo P1,2,5, Carrault G1,2, Hernández…
Read MoreModulation of brainstem activity and connectivity by respiratory-gated auricular vagal afferent nerve stimulation in migraine patients.
If this is a repeat post on this article, my apologies, but I couldn’t seem to find it in the archive so am reposting. Full article here Pain. 2017 Aug;158(8):1461-1472. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000930. Modulation of brainstem activity and connectivity by respiratory-gated auricular vagal afferent nerve stimulation in migraine patients. Garcia RG1, Lin RL, Lee J, Kim…
Read MoreEffects of Electrical Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation on the Perceived Intensity of Repetitive Painful Heat Stimuli: A Blinded Placebo- and Sham-Controlled Randomized Crossover Investigation.
This article by a similar group makes a somewhat startling conclusion, but one which I had noticed in the clinic and thought it was spurious. Only in male participants, TVNS was superior to sham and placebo conditions in the reduction of heat pain before the onset of TSP. I don’t look at pain thresholds, but…
Read MoreLessons learned from transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation: Epilepsy
The author was kind enough to send me a copy of the full paper. The upshot was that there was no statistically significant reduction at 28 days, but there was at 20 weeks. The patients are getting hours of stim per day. I wanted to underscore this take away. Because numerous parameters of brain stimulation…
Read MoreTranscutaneous vagal nerve stimulation may elicit anti- and pro-nociceptive effects under experimentally-induced pain – a crossover placebo-controlled investigation.
I met Usichenko in Barcelona at a conference there. I was giving a talk and he was in the audience. I wish I had been able to spend a bit more time with him. He seems interested in the same things I am. In my next post, I will link to a more recent study….
Read MoreEveryone Knows Memory Fails as You Age. But Everyone Is Wrong.
I have read this same take before. That we have more memories as we age, so we eventually get to the answers. I observe this in my 20 and 30 something children. They forget things every bit as much as I do. It’s hard to know about the ability to for pattern recognition, but I’ve…
Read MoreEar Stimulation (TAVNS) to slow down aging process
It seems we’re finding uses for TAVNS everywhere! They call it “tickling” which I think is great marketing. Come to think of it, I should be doing more of it for myself, in addition to acupuncture… I’m adding an update here to emphasize an interesting takeaway. Subjects in this study who had higher sympathetic activity…
Read MoreWhen Gut Bacteria Change Brain Function
There is intense interest in the effects of the gut microbiome on mood and even autism. The two strains highlighted below are part of the formulation I recommend for daily maintenance. Scientists have also gathered evidence that gut bacteria can influence anxiety and depression. Stephen Collins, a gastroenterology researcher at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario,…
Read MoreTAVNS Parameters and Devices: DyAnsys
In going through previous blog posts concerning TAVNS, I came across this recent post about a company called Dyansys. Their device incorporates my dream project of having an HRV device attached to a peripheral stim device. There are aspects of this device I really like. One tracks the HRV during attachment. Apparently if the sympathetic…
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