Exploring the vagus nerve and the inflammatory reflex for therapeutic benefit in chronic spinal cord injury

Purpose of review To describe features and implications of chronic systemic inflammation in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to summarize the growing therapeutic possibilities to explore the vagus nerve-mediated inflammatory reflex in this context. Recent findings The discovery of the inflammatory reflex provides a rationale to explore neuromodulation modalities, that is, electrical vagus nerve stimulation and pharmacological cholinergic modalities to regulate inflammation after SCI. Inflammation in individuals with SCI may negatively impact functional recovery and medical consequences after SCI. Exploring the potential of the vagus nerve-based inflammatory reflex to restore autonomic regulation and control inflammation may provide a novel approach for functional improvement in SCI.