RESUMO
The vagus nerve is involved in the regulation of human inflammation, mood and pain. Stimulation of the vagus nerve has assured therapeutic effects on intractable epilepsy and refractory depression. On the surface of the human body, the ear is the only area in which vagal afferent fibers distribute. According to the "bottom-up" mechanism of the signal processing, the central nervous system can be modulated by stimulating the peripheral nerve. Therefore, stimulation of the vagus nerve can regulate the activities of brain stem, thalamus, cerebral cortex and other related areas to produce therapeutic effects. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation is a safe, low-cost, non-invasive physical therapy modified from vagus nerve stimulation. This review focuses on the regulation of organ function by transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation and its application to diseases treatment.