Improving Vagus Nervous System Tone Therapeutic Gateway to the Immune-Nervous Supersystem
The vagus nerves exert a profound influence on the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary bodily functions such as heart rate, digestion, and respiratory rate. Specifically, the vagus nerve is known to enable the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting a “rest and digest” response that counterbalances the sympathetic nervous system’s “fight or flight” mode. This activation is necessary to regulate heart rate, reduce stress, and enhance overall relaxation.
Moreover, the connection between the vagus nerve and the immune system is a burgeoning area of research. The Vagus nerve has been found to have a bidirectional relationship with the immune system, enabling the brain to communicate with immune cells and vice versa. This crosstalk has significant implications for inflammation regulation, autoimmune diseases, and even mental health.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) has been explored and approved as a therapeutic intervention for various conditions, including epilepsy, depression, and chronic inflammatory disorders. By modulating vagus nerve activity through electrical stimulation and lifestyle interventions, the aim is to harness the immune-brain connection to improve health outcomes. This innovative approach holds promise in advancing our understanding of how the nervous system, immune system, and brain interact and how we can leverage this knowledge to develop novel treatments for a wide range of health issues counterbalances the sympathetic nervous system’s “fight or flight” mode.
This educational program provided by the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute in conjunction with Electrocore is focused on the development of understanding among health care practitioners of the important role that the vagus nerve function has on health conditions associated with dysfunction in the connections between the immune and autonomic nervous systems. The two-hour virtual educational program will provide insight into the assessment of vagus nerve tone and its clinical manifestations in the management of stress and inflammation related health issues.
The faculty is composed of key opinion-leading experts in the field of both vagus nerve function and interventional approaches to improving vagal nerve tone and the resultant impact on the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system function.
Key Learning Objectives:
- Understanding of the role that the vagus nerve plays in sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system function.
- Understanding how vagal nerve tone is related to the function of the immune system and chronic inflammatory state characterized by inflammaging.
- Understanding of the clinical tools available to improve vagus nerve function.
- Describing the role that electrophysiological intervention has on improving vagus nerve function and its impact on the immune system.