Surgically accessing the Vagus Nerve is not trivial, and implanting a VNS system involving cuff electrodes is risky and recovery is lengthy. Enter ElectroCore Medical of Bernards Township, New Jersey – it is developing non-invasive VNS therapies that treat or prevent symptoms of serious headache conditions, including migraines and cluster headaches, and bronchoconstriction including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD).
Its gammaCore® therapy is applied using a hand-held, non-invasive neurostimulator device, and is used to treat primary headaches in adults, including migraine, cluster headache, and medication overuse headache. According to ElectroCore, “gammaCore relies on the activation of afferent A-fibers in the vagus nerve which is not implicated in negative cardiac or respiratory effects.” Results from studies of the therapy as both an acute and preventative against these headache types have been promising, and are ongoing around the world.