Auricular branch of vagus nerve

The **auricular branch of the vagus nerve** is a small peripheral sensory branch arising from the superior ganglion of the vagus nerve. It is also known as **Arnold’s nerve** or **Alderman’s nerve**. This branch supplies general somatic afferent innervation to parts of the external ear—specifically, portions of the external auditory canal, tragus, tympanic membrane, and auricle. The superficial course through auricular tissues makes it accessible for non-invasive electrical stimulation. Clinically, this anatomical feature has been leveraged in transcutaneous or percutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (**aVNS**, tVNS), which is being investigated as a therapeutic approach for conditions such as epilepsy/seizures, depression, tinnitus, atrial fibrillation and other cardiovascular diseases, diabetes management support, stroke rehabilitation and endotoxemia. Stimulation can elicit physiological responses including cough reflexes ("Arnold Reflex") or rarely syncope due to strong parasympathetic activation. There are no known direct drug interactions with this target; rather it serves as an anatomical substrate for device-based neuromodulation therapies. No specific molecular biomarkers are used clinically for patient selection or monitoring efficacy at present. The term "auricular branch of vagus nerve" is anatomically correct and refers specifically to this distinct peripheral nervous structure.

Other names

Arnold's nerveAlderman's nervemastoid branch of vagus nerve

Electrical stimulation modulates neural activity via afferent fibers projecting to central autonomic and sensory nuclei