Tag Archives: scam

Shocking Vagus Nerve Stimulation Could Rewire the Injured Brain

Diagram of vagus nerve stimulation therapy including brainstem, vagus nerve, implanted pulse generator, heart, lungs, esophagus, and diaphragm

In 2025, the New York Times reported on a neuroscientist who has likened the vagus nerve to “a brake system in your car.” A May 18, 2026 New York Times piece, though, explored whether vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) can genuinely improve health or is simply a “scam”. This has brought renewed attention to a therapy that researchers have been quietly refining for decades; as the vagus nerve, a sprawling cranial nerve connecting the brain to major organs, has become one of neuroscience’s most compelling therapeutic targets, particularly in brain injury recovery.

Researchers in various institutions have demonstrated a direct connection between the VNS and the brain’s learning centers. Almost 4 years ago, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus findings discovered that this connection may lead to treatments improving cognitive retention in both healthy and injured nervous systems. Senior author Cristin Welle, Ph.D., stated: “We concluded that there is a direct connection between the vagus nerve, the cholinergic system that regulates certain aspects of brain function, and motor cortex neurons that are essential in learning new skills.” A 2025 observational study available in the NIH database, and published in Frontiers in Neurology, found that non-invasive VNS was associated with reduced neuroinflammation and recovery in patients with mild traumatic brain injury experiencing persistent post-concussion symptoms.

VNS is also established as a treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy, a condition that can follow traumatic brain injury. However, a 2026 review drawing on PubMed data found that airway-related side effects such as hoarseness, cough, and shortness of breath were the most common reactions, with most resolving after adjustments to stimulation settings. A 2025 meta-analysis confirmed that complications from implanted VNS are generally mild and transient, with adverse events decreasing over time. Researchers continue urging caution, noting that larger randomized trials are still needed before VNS becomes a standard of care for brain injury rehabilitation.

Brain Injury Community in Crosshairs of Bipartisan “Claim Sharks” Bill

“We will be suspending your Social Security number because we found some suspicious activities on your Social Security. If you want more information about this case, press 1. Thank you.”

Smartphone screen displaying a scam likely call with decline button being pressed

While the above “Robocall Scam Example”, listed on the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Advice webpage, may seem to be an obvious scam when viewed in print, the same may not be said when abruptly faced with the concern – particularly if you already have cognitive disabilities. In response to this reality, a new bipartisan bill targets predatory for-profit companies that use robocall software to harvest veterans’ disability data from federal phone lines Advocates state this practice poses a particular threat to veterans living with traumatic brain injury.

Introduced on March 26, 2026, by Rep. Chris Pappas (NH), the Veterans Benefits Information Protection Act, H.R. 8120, was prompted by a 2025 NPR investigation: Florida-based Trajector Medical “CallBot” auto-dialer program placed tens of thousands of monthly calls to a VA hotline, inputting veterans’ Social Security numbers and birthdays to detect disability rating increases and trigger automated billing both with and without veterans’ knowledge.

In addition to Pappas, H.R.8120 counts a bipartisan list of co-sponsors, including Rep. Don Bacon (NE), a retired Air Force brigadier general and co-chair of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force.  “Our veterans should never be targeted by bad actors trying to profit off their hard-earned benefits,” says Bacon, adding that the bill, which was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on March 26,2026, “takes a commonsense approach to crack down on predatory practices and protect veterans from exploitation.”

* Scamming, of course, does not solely refer to robocalls. In recent years, the government has given more attention to cyber scams, and particularly as it relates to the disabled. In 2024, the Journal of International Medical Research addressed cyber scams and acquired brain injury, available to PubMed, noting that, “People with acquired brain injury may be more susceptible to scams owing to postinjury cognitive and psychosocial consequences.”)