Does vagus nerve stimulation work? From treating seizures to depression, stimulating the body's longest nerve has real benefits. We all have two vagus nerves--one on the left side of the body and one on the right--both of which connect the brain to the intestines. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. On TikTok, vagus nerve stimulation sounds like a miracle cure.

From the hunt for the philosopher's stone to the snake oil salesmen of the Wild West, the history of medicine has had more than its fair share of fraudulent'cure-alls'. So, when I first heard of a device that claimed to cure everything from depression to my rapidly deteriorating attention span, I was understandably sceptical. To make things even stranger, this potential wonder-cure isn't a pill, powder, or trendy new supplement. Instead, the Nurosym is a 599 gadget that claims to rewire your nervous system - by zapping your ear. MailOnline's Wiliam Hunter bravely tested it out - and, as strange as it all might sound, he's almost ready to believe the hype.

The rapid growth of the drone industry, particularly in the use of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), requires the development of advanced training protocols for remote pilots. Remote pilots must develop a combination of technical and cognitive skills to manage the complexities of modern drone operations. This paper explores the integration of neurotechnology, specifically auricular vagus nerve stimulation (aVNS), as a method to enhance remote pilot training and performance. The scientific literature shows aVNS can safely improve cognitive functions such as attention, learning, and memory. It has also been shown useful to manage stress responses. For safe and efficient sUAS/UAV operation, it is essential for pilots to maintain high levels of vigilance and decision-making under pressure. By modulating sympathetic stress and cortical arousal, aVNS can prime cognitive faculties before training, help maintain focus during training and improve stress recovery post-training. Furthermore, aVNS has demonstrated the potential to enhance multitasking and cognitive control. This may help remote pilots during complex sUAS operations by potentially reducing the risk of impulsive decision-making or cognitive errors. This paper advocates for the inclusion of aVNS in remote pilot training programs by proposing that it can provide significant benefits in improving cognitive readiness, skill and knowledge acquisition, as well as operational safety and efficiency. Future research should focus on optimizing aVNS protocols for drone pilots while assessing long-term benefits to industrial safety and workforce readiness in real-world scenarios.

A small device that'zaps the ear' to trigger nerves in the brain that hold the key to learning languages has been developed and it could improve your language skills. The simple gadget dramatically improves the wearer's ability to learn new words, say the University of Pittsburgh team behind the research new development. The painless technique called tVNS (transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation) may also be applied to other forms of education beyond learning a new language. Electrical currents are sent through the ear and led to English speakers distinguishing Mandarin sounds more easily - and picked up some twice as quickly. It was achieved through precisely timed stimulation of the vagus nerve - the longest of the 12 cranial nerves connecting the brain to the rest of the body.