The NIH and CDC granted researchers at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health $700,000 to investigate an in-the-ear stimulator as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in first responders to the attack on the World Trade Center 20 years ago. The researchers will enroll 30 World Trade Center first responders with chronic PTSD in a sham-controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a device that uses transcutaneous auricular stimulation of the vagus nerve, which has shown promise in preclinical studies.

Stimulating the liver with focused ultrasound decreased obesity, chronic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction in preclinical studies, reported GE Research and the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, the research arm of Northwell Health. In a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers demonstrated that nerve modulation with ultrasound in mice helped regulate neurons involved in food intake, glucose regulation and metabolism without negative side effects.

Researchers at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, the research arm of New York-based Northwell Health, have developed a noninvasive method for targeting stimulation of the vagus nerve. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) offers promise for treatment of a wide range of conditions, given the nerve's extensive involvement in regulating many organs, but has been constrained by adverse effects caused by off-target activation of fibers.