A review of clinical applications of phrenic nerve stimulation

The phrenic nerve is a motor nerve that supplies both sides of the diaphragm from the ventral roots of C3, C4, and C5. It also contains many sensory nerve fibers that supply the fibrous pericardium, mediastinal pleura and the central region of the diaphragmatic pleura. Postganglionic sympathetic nerve fibers also travel with this nerve. Phrenic nerve stimulation, also known as diaphragm pacing, involves electrically stimulating the phrenic nerve using a surgically implanted device. This device rhythmically contracts the diaphragm, improving respiratory function in patients with respiratory failure. The purpose of this review was to investigate the clinical use of phrenic nerve stimulation using the PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases from 2000 to 2023. This study showed that phrenic nerve stimulation technique can have an important role in the treatment of conditions such as congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, spinal cord injury rostral to C4, brainstem injury, and idiopathic Central sleep apnea.

A review of clinical applications of phrenic nerve stimulation Keywords:

Phrenic nerve , Nerve stimulation , Central sleep apnea