Branch of glossopharyngeal nerve to carotid sinus Branch of glossopharyngeal nerve to carotid sinus The branch of glossopharyngeal nerve to the carotid sinus (Hering's nerve) is a small nerve in the neck, that innervates the carotid sinus and the carotid body. It is a branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve that runs downwards, anterior to the internal carotid artery. It communicates with the vagus nerve and sympathetic trunk and then divides in the angle of the bifurcation of the common carotid artery to innervate the carotid body and carotid sinus. It carries impulses from the baroreceptors in the carotid sinus to the vasomotor center in the brainstem (to
Carotid sinus the carotid sinus reflex when pressure builds in one or both carotid sinuses. Stimulation of baroreceptors at the carotid sinus can be used to treat resistant hypertension via activation of the baroreflex. A pacemaker-like device can be implanted to electrically stimulate the receptors chronically, which is found to lower blood pressure by 15-25 mmHg. Massage of the carotid sinus, carotid sinus massage is used to diagnose carotid sinus syncope and is sometimes useful for differentiating supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) from ventricular tachycardia. Like the valsalva maneuver, it is a therapy for SVT. It is less effective than pharmaceutical management of SVT