Research advances in vagus nerve stimulation for traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Patients with coma caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) suffer from poor quality of life and many complications, which brings heavy burden to their families. The exploration of TBI treatment will help patients restore function, reduce disability rate and improve quality of life. At present, the clinical treatment of TBI mainly includes mild hypothermia treatment, hyperbaric oxygen treatment, awakening drugs and median nerve electrical stimulation, which have their own limitations. Currently, a number of studies have focused on the application of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in TBI. The possible mechanisms of VNS include anti-inflammatory effect, brain edema reduction and stabilization of intracranial pressure, promoting nerve function recovery, attenuation of blood-brain barrier breakdown, glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity, synaptic plasticity and recruitment of endogenous neural stem cells. VNS can be used as a new method of clinical treatment for patients with TBI, but it also carries risks of complication as an invasive electrical stimulation. The author summarizes the usage, possible mechanism and safety of VNS, so as to provide reference for further understanding the application of VNS in TBI treatment. Key words: Brain injuries; Vagus nerve; Electric stimulation therapy