, or cranial nerve X, is the longest cranial nerve, running from the brainstem to the abdomen and playing a crucial role in the brain-body connection. As a key part of the parasympathetic nervous system, it regulates many involuntary bodily functions, including heart rate, digestion, and breathing, and is essential for actions like swallowing and coughing. It also transmits sensory information from organs like the heart, lungs, and gut back to the brain.
Function
- It controls a wide range of automatic processes, such as heart rate, respiration, and digestion.
- It serves as a two-way "superhighway" between the brain and the body, sending sensory information from organs back to the brain and motor commands from the brain to the organs.
- It is involved in critical reflexes like swallowing, coughing, and gagging.
- Emerging evidence suggests a role in regulating mood and stress response, partly through the brain-gut axis.
Anatomy and pathway
- It originates in the brainstem and exits the skull through the jugular foramen.
- It travels through the neck and thorax into the abdomen, passing through or connecting with the heart, lungs, and a large portion of the digestive tract.
- Its name comes from the Latin word "vagus," meaning "wandering," due to its extensive pathway.
Clinical significance
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