Nerve Stimulation

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) engages the body’s own cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway — the brain-body signaling carried by the vagus nerve — to dampen excessive inflammation. The Frasch Lab studies how VNS can be used to combat sepsis and to restore immunometabolic balance, from the fetus and neonate through to adult bioelectronic medicine, with a focus on non-invasive monitoring and control of the inflammatory response.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Neuromethods, vol. 205)

Edited by Martin G. Frasch & Eric C. Porges. Springer, 2024. A comprehensive methods volume covering invasive and non-invasive VNS from neonate to adult — study design, stimulation parameters, and heart rate variability metrics; mechanisms of action including autonomic regulation and immune plasticity; and therapeutic applications across inflammation, mood and trauma-related disorders, migraine, and language learning.

Key Reviews

From the Frasch Lab