On July 15th, 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) approved vagus nerve stimulation as a therapy for chronic or treatment-resistant depression “for the adjunctive long-term treatment of chronic or recurrent depression for patients 18 years of age or older..”. This approval concludes the formal seven year study of vagus nerve stimulation(VNS) and depression.

It is impossible to express the magnitude and importance of this decision that is so important to millions of patients and their loved ones. Vagus nerve stimulation has been FDA approved for pharmaco-resistant epilepsy patients since 1997. Patients suffering from the debilitating illness of chronic depression now have access to the same safe and informatively labeled treatment option.

Four million Americans suffer from chronic or treatment-resistant depression. These are patients for which traditional antidepressants do not provide adequate relief from their life-long, debilitating disease.

Vagus nerve stimulation is a 90-minute out-patient procedure in which a pacemaker-like device is implanted in the patient’s upper left chest and one lead wire is tunneled underneath the skin and coiled around the vagus nerve in the neck. It is unrelated to brain surgery or electroconvulsive therapy. There is no cognitive impairment(i.e. memory loss) and side effects if any, dissipate overtime. A prescription for vagus nerve therapy will be required from your psychiatrist.

You can learn more about this remarkable therapy at www.VagusNerveStimulator.com

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