WHAT IS VNS?
Vagus nerve stimulation, or VNS, involves implanting a tiny generator under the skin of the chest and connecting it through wires to the vagus nerve in the neck. The vagus nerve winds from the colon, past the intestines, heart, and lungs, and comes together at the diaphragm, where it runs as a thick cable past the esophagus and into the brain. According to Mark George, M.D., a neurologist from the Medical University of South Carolina, “The vagus nerve is a very important nerve that’s in our neck that communicates with our brain. It’s actually the information superhighway for all the information about how our heart and our lungs and our guts are doing. It’s also the way that the brain controls my heart and most of the center of our bodies.” This is why Dr. George believes VNS might work for people with anxiety. He says, “Emotions are not brain events, but the brain’s interpretation of bodily events. When you feel scared, it’s really your brain sensing that your heart rate is going up.”
