Providing Information on the Vagus Nerve and its Potential Role in Bulimia

Bulimia is a serious disorder, and effective treatment remains elusive. Some individuals, like the one who created the work above, express this struggle through art. Those interested in examining art as a therapy for individuals with bulimia should visit Foundation For Change which is the source of all the art featured on this website.

Research on a new treatment for bulimia, stimulation of the vagus nerve (vagal nerve stimulation), may provide a broad therapy so that more individuals can recover from this debilitating disorder. The purpose of this website is to explore the role of the vagus nerve in bulimia nervosa.

To understand the connection between bulimia and the vagus nerve some background knowledge is needed. The Vagus Nerve section provides a background for vagus nerve function and an overall description of cranial nerves. The Bulimia section defines bulimia clinically. The Vagus Stimulation for Bulimia section describes the potential treatment of vagus nerve stimulation for the disorder of bulimia. The Other Treatments section explains current treatments available for individuals with bulimia

This information was compiled by Will Conrad, Jodi Kazeck, Sjon Swanson, and Meghan Texley in 2005 as part of the Undergraduate Behavioral Neuroscience Resource Project run by Professor Eric P. Wiertelak at Macalester College. We hope that this information will provide a resource for individuals interested in learning more about bulimia. If you think you may be suffering from bulimia, we suggest you seek professional counsel. For more information or additional support in such matters, please visit our Other Resources Page.