Scientists Say Shock Collar-Like Device Can Treat PTSD

Image by Powers, Mark B. et al. / Futurism Devices Using a device that vaguely functions like a shock collar, researchers say they have found a promising way to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Neuroscientists at the University of Texas at Dallas and Baylor have developed a tiny chip that, when fitted inside a soft collar and placed just over the vagus nerve — a brain stem cluster that controls bodily functions like heart rate, digestion, immunity, and mood — elicits mild electric impulses that can help ease PTSD symptoms. The underlying concept behind vagus nerve stimulation, or VNS, is intriguing. Scientists believe that stimulating the nerve can help one's brain adapt and change on a neurological level. For years now, VNS has been used to treat everything from epilepsy and depression to sleep deprivation and tinnitus. Today, there are even handheld VNS devices on the market that allow people to mildly zap their brains at home. This new experimental treatment, however ... Read full article.