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. SUMMARY: 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.