Nerve Stimulation Implant May Aid Depression

A pilot study involving patients with pharmacotherapy-resistant depression indicates that the use of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has the potential to bring about sustained improvement in such patients.

VNS therapy is delivered by an implantable medical device similar to a cardiac pacemaker called the NCP System, developed by Cyberonics, Inc. (Houston, TX, USA). A stopwatch-sized generator is implanted in the left chest and a nerve stimulation electrode is attached to the vagus nerve in the neck, typically on an outpatient basis. Using an external programmer, a doctor can set or reset the stimulation parameters of the device. The system delivers preprogrammed intermittent electrical pulses to the vagus nerve 24 hours a day. The system has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adjunctive therapy for the treatment of medically refractory partial onset seizures in adults and adolescents over 12. The system is not yet authorized for the treatment of depression.

A pivotal study involving 102 patients at 20 U.S. sites is now under way. In addition, enrollment has begun for a multicenter European study, beginning at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin (Ireland), an important neuroscience center in Ireland. "We are extremely excited to begin the clinical trial, as VNS therapy represents a new milestone in the treatment of patients with depression,” said Veronica O'Keane, M.D., psychiatrist at Beaumont Hospital and principal investigator in the European study.



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