미주신경에 관한 국내 연구 현황 보고

A Study on the Current Status of Domestic Research on the Vagus Nerve

Vagus nerve is the 10th cranial nerve from the medulla. The nerve divides into several branches and distributes throughout body organs such as the heart, pharynx, vocal cords, and internal organs. The current status of domestic research on the vagus nerve, which has recently received a lot of attention related to autonomic nerve control, was investigated. As a result of analyzing 38 studies, we classified the studies as 1) Studies on the symptoms and diseases related to abnormalities of the vagus nerve, 2) Studies on the treatment of symptoms and diseases by stimulating the vagus nerve 3) Studies on how to stimulate the vagus nerve. Regarding the abnormalities of the vagus nerve, studies about heart abnormalities, voice and swallowing disorders were mainly conducted, and studies related to the effects of stimulating vagus nerve were conducted in various fields such as the neuropsychiatric area, the digestive area, and the musculoskeletal area. In the case of vagus nerve stimulation, there were invasive and non-invasive methods. In the case of non-invasive methods, electrical stimulation to the neck and ears was the main focus. The ear acupuncture treatment of oriental doctors is a method of stimulating the vagus nerve, which is highly economical and effective. Further studies are needed, about accurate stimulation areas and stimulation index values. Also, it is necessary to develop acupuncture tools with higher fixation with lesser pain on patients.