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The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

quantamagazine.org

61–70 of 180 posts

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was being prepped for wrist/arm surgery years back and the anesthesiologist got a bit flummoxed and muttere, “huh, that’s strange… let’s get an ultrasound” while trying to administer a nerve block on my arm. I asked what and they ”oh, it’s nothing to worry about, but your nerve isn’t where it is supposed to be…”, and then knocked me out before I could ask anything else.

That’s why we use ultrasound on practically every block we do today.

Would you consider investing in becoming an imaging technologist in today's US healthcare market?

IIRC, ultrasound is top of that payscale..?

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#62
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s interesting you mention “Nobody is textbook anatomy” I know you’re exaggerating for poetic effect but this might actually be true in some parts of the human anatomy. For example the description of the anatomy of vessels and anastomoses around the knee…I have had a professor tell me that the standard anatomical descriptions for this might all essentially be fiction. Basically the variation in some of these vessel…

> I know you’re exaggerating for poetic effect but this might actually be true in some parts of the human anatomy. I had an ingrown toenail fixed. There is a nerve that comes in and branches in two in the bug toe. In my toe it branches into three!

Even identical males twins don't have the same penis structure/routing. Thanks for sharing your own personal example (I am the twin, in mine).

Another example is that of sciatia, which is much more prevalent when your sciatic nerve takes one particular path to get through the glutes. Other routed methods and sciatia is much less likely to be debilitating.

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, really: nobody has completely textbook anatomy. Think of it like those blended-face photos. Anatomy books describe that.

Some people wonder why the use of ‘AI’ in pathology is not more effective, and this is part of the reason.

It seems like exactly the kind of thing AI will be better at than humans. If just needs to be trained on the variations instead of the textbook.

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#64
post #33

I have extracted this (and other) nerves from cadavers, and this circuitous cranial nerve (XII?) is as beautiful and complex as the multibranch plexus -es (e.g. brachial ). So delicate. Human anatomy, at first glance, often seems wrongly-engineered. After you've worked inside dozens of people, you begin to realize that everybody is unique — and nobody is "textbook" anatomy. Who knows what all this goop even does?! If…

This reminds me of a conversation I was having recently about genetically engineering humans. I think people are greatly underestimating the complexity of the human body and it’s nature mechanisms of adaptation. Everyone is a little different - but that’s okay because all the little feedback loops and receptor sites account for changes. Like a drug addict needing more and more to get their fix. There isn’t just one v…

>truly nothing short of miraculous.

Here by the grace of god(s)...

The brain is but just one part of an incredibly complex machination.

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#65
post #9

Human body is very flawed. Damage to this nerve can result in systemic failure. When are we going to get an update? Evolution, pls fix!1

In a past professional career, I hacked open a few dozen deceased people. Literally every body has unique configurations within — i.e. constantly evolving different genomic expressions to see what does and doesn't work.

My personal feeling on over-medication of our society is that it encourages more offspring from less-successful brains. (however one might determine that).

But that's just my ¢¢

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#66
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The joy of explaining your sneezes every time you see a bright light during cold/flu/pandemic season. I'm surprised to see it affects 20+% of the population because I've never met anyone who knew what I was talking about when I said "sorry, light makes me sneeze"

Ha! I have it too. Doesn't feel like 20% but we're out here

Bless you, too!

I love staring 45° from sunshine and knowing that I'll get that sneezing sensation.

¡Then do, a-chew!

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#67
post #18

I have extracted this (and other) nerves from cadavers, and this circuitous cranial nerve (XII?) is as beautiful and complex as the multibranch plexus -es (e.g. brachial ). So delicate. Human anatomy, at first glance, often seems wrongly-engineered. After you've worked inside dozens of people, you begin to realize that everybody is unique — and nobody is "textbook" anatomy. Who knows what all this goop even does?! If…

Nervus vagus is X - the tenth cranial nerve

Thank you, I needed a consult on that one (but now cannot edit/correct it):

You are correct, Vagus is TENTH Cranial Nerve.

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, really: nobody has completely textbook anatomy. Think of it like those blended-face photos. Anatomy books describe that.

Some people wonder why the use of ‘AI’ in pathology is not more effective, and this is part of the reason.

Hmm that is the opposite what I would have expected. Because there is so much variation an AI that has trained on an insane breadth of data should easily be able to outcompete a human on specialized tasks.

Re: The vagus nerve orchestrates the mind-body connection

#70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some people wonder why the use of ‘AI’ in pathology is not more effective, and this is part of the reason.

It seems like exactly the kind of thing AI will be better at than humans. If just needs to be trained on the variations instead of the textbook.

My thought is the exact opposite. AI can handle predictable situations fine, but the 20% of situations which are unpredictable require a general intelligence that can understand context that current AI technology (or possibly any AI technology) just doesn’t possess. There will always be situations that training doesn’t cover.
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