Vagus nerve

Vagus nerve

The Vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve or CN X, and interfaces with parasympathetic control of the heart, lungs, and digestive tract. It is the longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system in the human body.

Anatomy

The vagus nerve includes two nuclei: the dorsal nucleus of vagus nerve and the nucleus ambiguus. It runs from the brain through the face and thorax to the abdomen. It is a mixed nerve that contains parasympathetic fibers.

Function

The vagus nerve supplies motor parasympathetic fibers to all the organs except the adrenal glands, from the neck down to the second segment of the transverse colon. It also controls a few skeletal muscles, including:

• Levator veli palatini
• Salpingopharyngeus
• Palatoglossus
• Palatopharyngeus
• Superior, middle and inferior pharyngeal constrictors
• Muscle of the larynx (excluding the cricothyroid muscle)

Clinical significance

Damage to the vagus nerve can result in a loss of parasympathetic innervation to a large array of structures. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a type of therapy used in cases of intractable epilepsy and treatment-resistant depression.

See also

• Vagus nerve stimulation
• Vagotomy
• Vagovagal reflex

References

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External links

• Vagus nerve at the US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

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