Tag: Neuromodulation
TAVNS 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…
Read MoreTAVNS Clinical Data Not a Panacea: Li.Ma and St.Gi edition
In the spirit of “there’s no bad data only bad hypotheses” I share this data. This is from a long time patient (>3 years) who comes monthly for cosmetic acupuncture. I’ve tried TAVNS on her a few times and the results show in increase in her sympathetic/parasympathetic balance to a dramatic degree. Not once, not…
Read MoreCurrent Directions in the Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation I – A Physiological Perspective
This is the companion article to this one. Current Directions in Auricular Vagal Nerve Stimulation I Kaniusas E, Kampusch S, Tittgemeyer M, et al. Current Directions in the Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation I – A Physiological Perspective. Front Neurosci. 2019;13:854. Published 2019 Aug 9. doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00854 ” In line with the aforementioned inhibitory effects of vagal receptors,…
Read MoreTranscutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation, implications as alternative to VNS for epilepsy
I’m linking to this abstract for reference. I don’t have access to the actual article, but it reinforces the increasing interest in TAVNS. J Clin Neurophysiol. 2019 Nov;36(6):437-442. doi: 10.1097/WNP.0000000000000576. Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation. Ellrich J1. Author information 1 Medical Faculty, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany. Abstract Invasive vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an…
Read MoreTreating Depression with Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation: State of the Art and Future Perspectives
I can’t say enough about this journal article. It clearly lays out the physiology and brain anatomy involved in TAVNS with a focus on depression. But it also discusses the impact of inflammation, microbiota, and even auricular acupuncture. It is not written for the lay audience, but an incredible resource for anyone interested in where…
Read MoreAcupuncture and TAVNS HRV: St.Gi Edition
Following up on yesterday’s post this patients data shows a similar discrepancy in the data. She, also, employed deep breathing in one of the sessions. It drove down her LF/HF which can be interpreted as an increase in her stress levels, but in the same session her RMSSD went up which means the opposite. This…
Read MoreRole of inflammation in depression relapse
I am not sure how this article ended up in my inbox, but I’m so glad it did! Inflammation is everywhere, and involved in almost everything. Acupuncture helps activate vagal activity and inhibit sympathetic activity. So does vagal nerve stimulation. We need better tools for study, which is what I’m working on. Back to work!…
Read MoreAnatomical-Physiological Basis for Transcutaneous Auricular Neurostimulation
The more we know about auricular stimulation, by acupuncture or transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (TAVNS) the more effective we can make it. Med Acupunct. 2018 Jun 1; 30(3): 141–150. Published online 2018 Jun 1. doi: 10.1089/acu.2017.1254 PMCID: PMC6011382 PMID: 29937968 Anatomo-Physiologic Basis for Auricular Stimulation Beniamina Mercante, PhD,* Francesca Ginatempo, MSc,* Andrea Manca, PhD,* Francesco…
Read MoreTranscutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation at 1 Hz modulates locus coeruleus activity and resting state functional connectivity in patients with migraine: An fMRI study.
“Our results suggest that taVNS at 1 Hz can significantly modulate activity/connectivity of brain regions associated with the vagus nerve central pathway and pain modulation system, which may shed light on the neural mechanisms underlying taVNS treatment of migraine.” This study is interesting as far as it goes. It’s unclear whether a different frequency would have…
Read MoreHeart Rate Variability as Biomarker of Prevention and Resilience: A Year Long Study of Migraine Patients
Heart Rate Variability as Biomarker of Prevention and Resilience: A Year Long Study of Migraine Patients in the Acupuncture Clinic This is the full manuscript with references for my submission last July to the Journal of Medical Acupuncture. They turned it down, but I’m stashing it here for the record and also because even though…
Read More