vagus nerve

noun,plural vagus nerves.Anatomy.

either one of the tenth pair of cranial nerves, consisting of motor fibers that innervate the muscles of the pharynx, larynx, heart, and thoracic and abdominal viscera, and of sensory fibers that conduct impulses from these structures to the brain.

Origin of vagus nerve

First recorded in 1830–40

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Neuroscientist Steven Porges, who developed “polyvagal theory,” says diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which triggers the body’s relaxation response.
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The brain needs calories to operate, and chemical messengers travel back and forth between your gut and brain via the vagus nerve triggering all sorts of functions, from hormone production to cognition.
Why Psychiatrists Are Prescribing Food | abarronian | October 21, 2021 | Outside Online
Stimulating the vagus nerve can also serve to quiet activity in the cortex, the outer rind of the brain where the vast majority of seizures begin.
How to Unlearn a Disease - Issue 103: Healthy Communication | Kelly Clancy | July 14, 2021 | Nautilus
However, Ma and team said, the vagus nerve might serve a similar function.
We Need New, Safer Ways to Treat Pain. Could Electroacupuncture Be One? | Shelly Fan | August 18, 2020 | Singularity Hub
Lying behind the vein may be seen the vagus nerve (Fig. 248).
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4) | Various

They affect the different parts of the vagus nerve in variable proportion.
The Action of Medicines in the System | Frederick William Headland
All those with which we are acquainted appear to direct their action to the branches of the vagus nerve.
The Action of Medicines in the System | Frederick William Headland
Special Sedatives, which control the function of the vagus nerve, are especially notable as indirect Expectorants.
The Action of Medicines in the System | Frederick William Headland
The vein is external and somewhat superficial to the artery, and the vagus nerve lies behind.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4) | Various

vagus nerve

[ vā′gəs ]

Either of the tenth pair of cranial nerves that carries motor impulses from the brain to many major organs. The vagus nerve controls the muscles of the larynx (voice box), stimulates digestion, and regulates the heartbeat.

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