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Researchers from the University of California San Diego showed the first ever wearable, non-invasive device that can measure activity in human cervical nerves in clinical settings. They designed a flexible, adhesive-integrated electrode array to provide medical professionals with a real-time, clinically proven tool for detecting levels of activity in the involuntary nervous system.
According to Interesting Engineering, this device captures neural activity from the vagus and carotid sinus nerves and other autonomic nerves in our neck’s skin and muscles. The vagus nerve extends from the base of the skull through the torso and abdomen and impacts functions like digestion, heart rate, and immune responses. The nerve is especially important for managing the body’s inflammatory reactions to injuries or infections, making it a key area of study for various serious conditions (like sepsis and PTSD.
This innovation uses an advanced technique called “magnetoneurography” that enables precise, non-invasive real-time detection of nerve activity. A study conducted with nine participants had the device sensors above the participants’ right ear and over their right carotid artery – both areas where the vagus nerve and carotid sinus nerve are located – to track heart rate and magnetic fields associated with nerve activity.
The tests successfully tracked variations in heart rate and observed an important correlation between nerve activity at both sites and fluctuations in key inflammatory proteins indicating a heightened risk of septic shock or immunoparalysis.
Troy Bu, first author of the study published in Nature Communications Biology, said in a statement: “With sepsis, every minute counts, and early treatments save lives… Every hour sepsis is not treated, the likelihood of death increases by up to seven percent. Our technology can provide doctors with an early warning sign of hyperimmune or immunoparalysis response in sepsis.”
This innovation could help doctors detect patients at increased risk of excessive immune responses or immunoparalysis, as well as assess the effectiveness of treatments in reducing inflammation, offer insights into how the nervous system interacts with inflammation in conditions like PTSD and other mental health disorders, and allow for more precise adjustment of therapies based on individual nervous system responses.
This information was provided by Interesting Engineering.
