Body of Research

Acute inflammation can turn chronic, as shown in studies such as reported by Harvard Medical School in a special report on Fighting Inflammation: How to stop the damage before it compromises your health. In fact, an exacerbated inflammatory response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is believed to be one of the major causes of the morbidity and mortality of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, inflammation that turns chronic can become a re...

Dr. Jihong Liu, MD, at the Preventative Treatment Center of the Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Foshan, China, et al. have studied the auricular stomach point of rabbits with acute and chronic gastritis to observe the changes in histological and ultrastructure of the auricular point against those in control groups. Results showed histological changes, including mast cells infiltration, hyperplasia of epidermis and dermis and loosed dense connective tissue, were observed in ...

Chronic inflammatory diseases have been recognized as the most significant cause of death in the world today, with more than 50% of all deaths being attributable to inflammation-related diseases such as ischemic heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and autoimmune and neurodegenerative conditions[2]. Evidence is emerging that the risk of developing chronic inflammation can be traced back to early development, and i...

Badran et. al. provide commentary on the growing interest in modulating the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (ABVN). Researchers clearly want to know which ear target is optimal for taVNS e tragus or cymba conchae. Although the authors note discrepancies — identified by Burger and Verkuil in the investigation of a manuscript by Peuker and Filler describing vagus innervation of the ear — that they have found difficult to resolve, their commentary offers insights.[1] First, recognizing the i...

The use of auricular methods for application in the field of psychology is supported by research such as the positive treatment results from auricular chromotherapy presented by Alexandre Massao Yoshizumi, MS, Daniel Guillermo Asis, MD, and Fabiola Andrade Luz, PhD. The auricular chromotherapy protocol, a technique developed by Dr. Asis and Dr. Federico Zarragoicoechea (with contributions from Jorge Boucinhas and Rafäel Nogier, MD), shows that simple auricular methods — methods that require l...

The author suggests that pathological neural activity could be treated by directing specific plasticity to renormalize circuits and restore function. Rehabilitative therapies aimed to promote adaptive circuit changes after neurological disease or injury, are often prevented in supporting full recovery owing to insufficient or maladaptive plasticity. Adjunctive strategies that broadly support plasticity to facilitate rehabilitative interventions have the potential to improve treatment in a wid...

Auricular stimulation has been applied for medical treatment for thousands of years, and became popularized on the developments of Dr. Paul Nogier, the “father” of auriculotherapy and auriculomedicine. In the present study, the relationship between the auricular acupuncture and the vagal regulation has been reviewed. It is shown that auricular acupuncture plays a role in vagal activity of autonomic functions of cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems. Mechanism studies sugge...