Laterality, sexual dimorphism, and human vagal projectome heterogeneity shape neuromodulation to vagus nerve stimulation.

ABSTRACT: Neuromodulation by vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) provides therapeutic benefits in multiple medical conditions, including epilepsy and clinical depression, but underlying mechanisms of action are not well understood. Cervical vagus nerve biopsies were procured from transplant organ donors for high resolution light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to map the human fascicular and sub-fascicular organization. Cervical vagal segments show laterality with right sided dominance in fascicle numbers and cross-sectional areas as well as sexual dimorphism with female dominance in fascicle numbers. The novel and unprecedented detection of numerous small fascicles by high resolution LM and TEM expand the known fascicle size range and morphological diversity of the human vagus

SUBMITTER: Biscola NP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11576867 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature