Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression
Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Chronic or Treatment-Resistant Depression
About Vagus Nerve Stimulation(VNS)
VNS is not brain surgery, although it is a treatment that affects the function of the brain. Vagus Nerve Stimulation uses specific stimulation of the vagus nerve to send stimulation to specific parts of the brain that are involved in mood. It is not like Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT), a treatment that involves stimulation of the entire brain and induces convulsions in patients. In fact, patients may not even feel the stimulation from VNS since the vagus nerve does not have the type of nerves that carry pain signals. Nor does VNS interfere with drugs, and patients having Vagus Nerve Stimulation can continue taking their other drugs without worrying about side effects or interactions between drugs.
What is the Vagus Nerve ?
Vagus means "wandering" in Latin, and is the perfect description for the vagus nerve, the longest nerve in the body. It averages almost two feet in length and "wanders" throughout the upper body. The vagus nerve starts in the brain, goes down the neck and into the body where if affects the vocal cords, the acid content of the stomach, the heart, the lungs, and other organs. In the brain it projects to areas believed to be responsible for seizures, mood, appetite, memory and anxiety (note 3). However, the vagus nerve cord does not have many pain nerves, so stimulation of the vagus nerve is not painful, although some patients may feel some sensation when electrical pulses are generated.
The History of Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Vagus Nerve Stimulation has been used to treat epilepsy patients for years; the first human clinical trial was in 1988,(note 1) and the FDA approved VNS therapy for epilepsy in 1997 (note 2). So far over 22,000 people worldwide have had VNS therapy (note 3), and it has proven to be a safe and effective treatment for epilepsy. These patients have reported minimal side effects, which have tended to decrease over time. The efficacy of the treatment has also been shown to increase with longer treatment time (note 1).
When Vagus Nerve Stimulation was first approved for epilepsy, some patients reported an improvement in mood. Researchers decided to design a study specifically to measure changes in a patient's mood and depression due to stimulation of the vagus nerve. In 1999, scientists began the first open label (no placebo group) study for depression with 60 patients. This first study found that there was indeed an improvement in mood for depressed patients. Based on this study, a more detailed and thorough study was designed to determine if Vagus Nerve Stimulation would be a safe, tolerable and effective treatment for chronic depression.
The recently completed one-year, double blind, placebo controlled trial had 235 patients from 21 participating hospitals in the United States, and showed clinically significant improvements due to treatment compared to baseline (note 2). The acute (short-term) phase lasted three months, during which half of the patients received stimulation (treatment group) and half did not (control group). The long-term phase of the study lasted an additional 9 months (for one year total treatment) of stimulation. The HRSD-24 (24 item clinician-rated Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) improvements observed over the first year were highly significant. The results of this long-term, pivotal study were submitted to FDA in October 2003; the FDA's decision on the use of Vagus Nerve Stimulation for depression is not anticipated before October 2004 (note 2). Of note, Vagus Nerve Stimulation therapy was approved for use in patients with treatment resistant depression in the European Union in March 2001, and in Canada in April 2001 (note 2) .
How Does Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy work ?
The Pulse Generator (battery) delivers a small amount of electrical current to the vagus nerve intermittently (30 seconds on and five minutes off ) (note 3) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for up to 10 years. The stimulation is delivered automatically, so the patient does not have to do anything. Because there is nothing to remember, compliance is assured. The stimulation is not supposed to be uncomfortable, and some patients do not even feel the stimulation. A nurse at the doctor's office can adjust the level of stimulation (amount of electricity delivered) if the patient ever feels uncomfortable. In the study currently being reviewed by the FDA, researchers noted several similarities between epileptic and depressed patients (note 4).
One of the most important similarities is that Vagus Nerve Stimulation treatment efficacy improves over time. The longer the patient receives stimulation, the better the results. In addition, both populations of patients share the following:
Assured adherence to treatment regimen
Safety of the procedure
Safety of the therapy
High continuation rates
No drug interactions
What is the surgery like?
Vagus Nerve Stimulation is NOT brain surgery, even though it is an invasive surgical procedure that changes the function of the brain. The stimulator is a pacemaker-like device that generates electrical pulses (Pulse Generator); it is implanted under the skin in the left chest through a small incision. While this may sound like a serious or dangerous procedure, it is not. The FDA has approved the use, and confirmed the safety of this procedure, and 22,000 patients have received the implant to treat epilepsy. The Vagus Nerve Stimulation surgery involves two small incisions, one in the chest and one at the lowest part of the neck. At no time is the brain physically manipulated by the surgeon.
The surgery to implant the NCP System takes 45 minutes to two hours. Local, regional or general anesthesia (putting the patient to sleep) is used during the surgery; the doctor and anesthetist determine which type of anesthesia is best for each patient. Most Vagus Nerve Stimulation patients will have outpatient surgery, (note 3) but some patients may need to stay in the hospital overnight, and in that case they will need a family member or companion to take them home from the hospital.
Learn more about this remarkable device at www.VagusNerveStimulator.com
Charles E. Donovan
Author
Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression
http://www.VagusNerveStimulator.com
 Google News Updated : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:51:51 GMT Aurilia, Vizquel help Giants rally for win - San Jose Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News - By Andrew Baggarly It would be difficult to claim that the Giants improved their playoff hopes when they rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night. Aurilia gets key hit, makes pitch for old guys Giants rally in eighth to edge Nats Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:43:04 GMT Day After, WNBA Untangles Brawl - New York Times
New York Times - By MIKE OGLE Some of the WNBA’s biggest stars commanded national attention Tuesday night and into Wednesday - but not in a way their teams or the league wanted. Don't count on fights becoming WNBA trend WNBA may have a fighting chance Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:06:48 GMT Hunt begins for Karadzic helpers - BBC News
BBC News - Officials investigating captured Bosnian Serb ex-leader Radovan Karadzic say they will track down and punish those who aided his false identity. Video: Karadzic plans to defend himself in The Hague Kenya: Karadzic's Fate a Lesson Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:47:45 GMT Finding Bale's dark side - Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times - BY BILL ZWECKER Sun-Times Columnist 'The Dark Knight'' star Christian Bale's alleged ''assault'' in London against his mother and sister is part of a long-simmering family feud. Batman star stays silent in Spain Christian Bale's lady sidekick: Sibi Bale Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:08:50 GMT Sudan's president boogies on last Darfur pit stop - AFP
AFP - EL GENEINA, Sudan (AFP) - A dancing Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir paraded as a man of peace on Thursday during a heavily protected tour of Darfur defying accusations that he masterminded genocide in the region. Sudan counters charges with diplomacy Al-Bashir in Sudan peace pledge Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:15:43 GMT US cancer boss in mobiles warning - BBC News
BBC News - The director of a leading US cancer research institute has sent a memo to thousands of staff warning of possible higher risks from mobile phone use. Cell phones: The next cigarettes? Group sees possible link to brain cancer Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:35:11 GMT Obama to demand more from Europe in Berlin speech - Reuters
Reuters - By Caren Bohan and Noah Barkin BERLIN (Reuters) - US presidential candidate Barack Obama is expected to call on Europe to do more in hotspots like Afghanistan when he speaks in Berlin on Thursday in his only formal address of a week-long foreign tour. Berliners welcome Obama as they did JFK Obama Starts European Trip With Stop in Germany Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:25:11 GMT Merchant Datafeeds |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Depression is a serious illness, not a harmless part of... Read More Depression is a serious issue. There are simply hundreds of... Read More With the current interest in mental health topics, a mental... Read More What's curious is that most of them will be on... Read More It amazes me that 6-10 million Americans have been diagnosed... Read More While it is arguable that depression is not always preventable,... Read More The Law of PermanenceSuicide is always a permanent solution to... Read More We all have days when we are down, worn out... Read More My definition of procrastination is that a person delays and... Read More When we have depression, one of the things we drop... Read More While it may be easy to recite the various brand... Read More Being lonely is a normal part of our everyday lives.... Read More Many of us feel depressed at one time or another,... Read More A major survey on depression symptoms from the National Mental... Read More What is depression?Depression is a serious medical illness; it's not... Read More I heard about a woman who was suffering from depression,... Read More A short generation ago, families could set their watch by... Read More We all have blue days:We're missing someone we've lost, the... Read More Depression is a mental state marked by melancholy, pessimism or... Read More If you have been diagnosed with depression or feel that... Read More Why are these illnesses on the rise? And why do... Read More In every moment of our life we have the choice... Read More When I first mention this to most people, they really... Read More Maria has been feeling depressed for at least two and... Read More It is now no secret that people all over the... Read More
Adsense
websites
Recognizing Depression?s Warning Signs
Recognizing Depression
Are You Someones Puppet? Four Ways People Manipulate Others
Antidepressants: Control or Cure?
I Love You, I Hate You But Dont Go: Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder
The Formula for Preventing Depression
Suicide Prevention: 12 Universal Laws
Tips to Beat Depression
Depression and Procrastination: Twins in the Job Search
Fighting Depression by Restoring Your Routines
A Look at the Different Depression and Anxiety Medications
5 Super Effective Tips To Kill Depression
Depression
Chronic Depression: Disease or Charcter Flaw?
Depression-My Story
Ten Tips For Beating Depression
Stress and Depression are Killing Us!
Wellbutrin For Depression: When Its More Than Just The Blues
Depression Explained
Your Daily Struggle With Depression
Beating Stress, Anxiety and Depression
Raise Your Feeling Frequency with a Loving Smile
Control Your Own Level of Motivation
Depression Series: Why Don?t I Respond to Medications? (Part 1)
Depression and EPA Fish Oil - Does It Really Work?
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Do Natural Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Supplements Really Work?
Unfortunately, millions of Americans currently suffer from the debilitating effects... Read More
Change Your Life Forever with New Medical Breakthrough Treatment for Depression
With the next few weeks, the FDA is expected to... Read More
Natural Treatment for Depression - Is There An Alternative?
Many people who are suffering from mild to moderate depression,... Read More
Depression: Bringing Yourself Down
Sometimes it's hard to see the forest from the trees.... Read More
New FDA Approved Therapy for Depression: Timeline from Prescription to Procedure
On July 18, 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA)... Read More
Biological Psychiatry Confirms of Efficacy and Safety of VNS Therapy for Depression
The September 1, 2005 issue of Biological Psychiatry confirmed the... Read More
5 Super Effective Tips To Kill Depression
Being lonely is a normal part of our everyday lives.... Read More
Tuning the Music Therapist
Music so strongly evokes emotional responses that it is being... Read More
American Indian Youth and Depression - Using Traditions To Heal The Wounds
When most people hear the words American Indian, visions of... Read More
Depression and Procrastination: Twins in the Job Search
My definition of procrastination is that a person delays and... Read More
A Look at the Different Depression and Anxiety Medications
While it may be easy to recite the various brand... Read More
How Do You Know if You Have Manic-Depression
Nancy was doing very well until about two years ago... Read More
Insurance Reimbursement for Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression
I attended the Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy Conference at the... Read More
Everyday I have the Blues: A Medical Intuitive look at Depression
It may come in waves, it may control our lives.... Read More
Are the Benefits Worth the Costs?
Schizophrenia suffers around the world have benefitted greatly with the... Read More
Depression - Causes and Treatments
Depression has long been considered a character flaw indicative of... Read More
How to Put an End to Depression
Depression can have many, many faces. If you are not... Read More
Are You Someones Puppet? Four Ways People Manipulate Others
With the current interest in mental health topics, a mental... Read More
Depression: 14 Universal Laws for Recovery
The Law of BlueJust sort of feeling blue, kinda out... Read More
Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression
Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Chronic or Treatment-Resistant Depression About Vagus... Read More
Depression Explained
Depression is a mental state marked by melancholy, pessimism or... Read More
Acidity Depresses Thyriod Function
THE RISKAccumulation of acids in your body, due to insufficient... Read More
So You?ve Been Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder?
If you've been diagnosed with bipolar disorder (also known as... Read More
Suicide Prevention: 12 Universal Laws
The Law of PermanenceSuicide is always a permanent solution to... Read More
Depression Keeps 19 Million Adults From Being Productive
Approximately 19 million American adult workers allow depression to limit... Read More
Depression |