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New research suggests that for individuals older than 55, the autonomic nervous system can be rebalanced by stimulating the ear with a small electrical current daily for two weeks. Researchers indicate that study participants experienced improved mood, sleep, and quality of life. Scientists from the United Kingdom’s University of Leeds used transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation, a painless current delivered to the ear, to influence the nervous system. According to the researchers, an out-of-balance autonomic nervous system may contribute to conditions associated with aging. Tickling the ear to stimulate the vagus nerve can, they believe, recalibrate the autonomous nervous system.
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— Kate Jackson, editor |
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Tickle Therapy May Slow Aging
“Tickling” the ear with a small electrical current appears to rebalance the autonomic nervous system for individuals older than 55, potentially slowing down one of the effects of aging, according to new research.
Scientists found that a short daily therapy delivered for two weeks led to both physiological and well-being improvements, including a better quality of life, mood, and sleep.
The therapy, transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), delivers a small, painless electrical current to the ear, which sends signals to the body’s nervous system through the vagus nerve.
The new research, conducted at the United Kingdom’s University of Leeds, suggests the therapy may slow down an important effect associated with aging. This could help protect people from chronic diseases that we become more prone to as we get older, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and atrial fibrillation. The researchers, who published their findings in the journal Aging, suggest that the “tickle” therapy has the potential to help people age more healthily by recalibrating the body’s internal control system.
According to lead author Beatrice Bretherton, PhD, from the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Leeds, “The ear is like a gateway through which we can tinker with the body’s metabolic balance, without the need for medication or invasive procedures. We believe these results are just the tip of the iceberg.
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Trends in Parenteral Nutrition
Clinicians can get caught up with the latest research in the field of parenteral nutrition to determine new practices that should be implemented for their patient population. Read more »
Poised for a Breakthrough
Advances in technology are set to transform health care for older adults in five ways. Read more »
Atherosclerosis and Aging
Recent findings offer insights into the role of the endothelial glycocalyx in cardiovascular health. Read more » |
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Customized Compression After Breast Surgery
There are numerous challenges associated with the use of surgical dressings after breast surgery, including drain management, reducing the threat of medical adhesive-related skin injuries, and the need for repeated dressing changes. EZbra, an easy-to-apply disposable bra that absorbs 10 times its weight and can be worn for 24 hours, lets patients customize compression based on their individual needs. It also holds and stabilizes surgical drains. Learn more »
Mobile Care App for Older Adults
Safe365 is a mobile telecare app for older adults that lets their families know where they are at all times and can help locate them if they wander. An emergency button lets them call for help, and automatic notifications let caregivers and family members know when they enter or leave an area. The app accustoms itself to an individual’s behaviors in order to be able to notify family members about anything outside the ordinary. The app also has social functions, letting users communicate in an Instagram-style manner. The app is free from Apple’s App Store and from Google Play for Android users. Learn more » |
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Coming up in our November/December 2019 issue is our 2020 Resource Guide. Email a sales representative to be part of this unique advertising opportunity.
A resource for professionals looking for new opportunities, as well as those physicians just curious to see what's out there, our Physician Recruitment Center gives physician recruiters a powerful tool to fill partnership opportunities, academic appointments, and hospital staff positions. To support your product marketing or recruiting needs, e-mail our experienced account executives today at sales@gvpub.com for more information or call 800-278-4400! |
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Study Examines Overworked Nursing Staff
According to a report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 3 in 10 registered nurses working in nursing homes experienced significant burnout and job dissatisfaction, and almost three-quarters indicate that they have inadequate time or resources to complete their jobs. The tasks that typically got short shrift were comforting patients, teaching patients and family members, and care planning.
Awakenings Point to Untapped Brain Reserves
Research into moments of terminal lucidity in Alzheimer’s patients—an episode of clear communication in a person who’d been presumed to be unable to so interact—might help scientists understand explore the possibilities of restoring cognitive abilities to patients with neurogenerative diseases, even those with the most advanced cases. According to an article in Scientific American, researchers theorize that if patients can access a state of normal cognition, however fleeting—a state researchers are now calling paradoxical lucidity—at the very least it would change the nature of end-of-life communication.
Blood Test Leads to Early Detection of Alzheimer’s
According to a report in Newsweek, brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease can be detected with 94% accuracy through a blood test to speed early detection and help direct more effective treatments. The test, studied in 158 adults older than 50, detects levels of beta-amyloid, and its results, a study coauthor says, “appear to be very sensitive to the early changes” of Alzheimer’s disease. The test may be available in clinics in as little as one to two years.
Report Analyzes Binge Drinking Among Older Adults
A new study indicates that 1 in 10 older adults is a binge drinker, a practice that not only may exacerbate existing conditions and interfere with the effect of medications but also increase the risk of injury from falls, which are far more serious for elderly patients than for younger individuals. According to a report in The New York Times, the study looked at data about 10,927 individuals older than 65 who self-reported their drinking habits in the previous 30 days. Binge drinking was defined as consumption of five or more drinks per sitting for men and four or more for women. It’s a problem, researchers suggest, that’s greatly underestimated. |
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