Evaluate the clinical evidence and mechanisms of action for vagus nerve stimulation and noninvasive transcutaneous neuromodulation in the treatment of headache, PTSD, fibromyalgia, and related nociplastic pain conditions, with emphasis on nonpharmacologic strategies that minimize cognitive and operational side effects.
Identify practical opportunities to integrate bioelectric therapies into military and veteran healthcare systems to reduce polypharmacy, enhance resilience, and improve functional performance, recovery, and long-term force sustainability.
Dr. Peter Staats’ presentation, The Bioelectric Revolution, will explore how bioelectronic medicine can strengthen force health protection, operational readiness, and return-to-duty outcomes by addressing the overlapping burden of headaches, traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and chronic pain in military populations. Drawing on decades of leadership in neuromodulation and pain medicine, Dr. Staats will review evidence supporting vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for primary headache disorders and PTSD—conditions frequently comorbid with mild TBI and associated with autonomic dysregulation, sleep disturbance, impaired cognition, and reduced stress tolerance that directly impact mission performance. The presentation will examine how VNS modulates central autonomic networks and neuroinflammatory pathways implicated in both TBI and PTSD, offering a nonpharmacologic strategy aligned with military goals to reduce polypharmacy, opioid exposure, and cognitive side effects. Emerging applications of VNS in post-viral syndromes, including long COVID, will be discussed in the context of persistent fatigue, dysautonomia, and nociplastic pain that delay functional recovery and return to duty. The talk will also highlight noninvasive, FDA-cleared transcutaneous neuromodulation approaches for fibromyalgia and other nociplastic pain syndromes, emphasizing their ability to normalize altered pain processing and improve physical function without impairing alertness or operational performance. By integrating neuroscience, clinical outcomes, and real-world application, this session will illustrate how bioelectric medicine offers a paradigm shift away from purely pharmacologic care toward precise, circuit-based interventions that address both pain and comorbid mood, sleep, and stress disorders. Attendees will gain practical insights into where these therapies fit within modern, multidisciplinary care models and why bioelectronic medicine is poised to become a cornerstone of future military and civilian healthcare systems.