In older adults, postoperative delirium—characterized by confusion, inattention, and agitation—can occur following surgical procedures, and some individuals fail to fully recover. Researchers led by Anesthesiology faculty member Niccolò Terrando and Neurobiology training faculty member Warren Grill have identified that activating the vagus nerve, which links the brain to multiple organ systems, can reduce brain inflammation and cognitive disturbances after surgery in mice predisposed to Alzheimer’s-like disease. These results indicate a promising therapeutic approach for managing postoperative delirium in humans. The intervention, known as percutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (pVNS), employs a minimally invasive, skin‑applied device developed at Duke University to deliver targeted electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve.