We are excited to announced that we are now offering vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), a new FDA approved depression treatment. It’s effective for many people who have not responded well to previous depression treatments.
Like a cardiac pacemaker, a small pacemaker is inserted under the skin of the chest but instead of connecting wires to the heart, it connects to the vagus nerve in the neck. A steady train of intermittent impulses stimulates the vagus nerve which in turn stimulates the areas of the brain impacted by depression. Here is a cool video that explains it. https://www.livanova.com/depression/en-us/what-is-symmetry
How well does it work? VNS has about a 50% remission and 70% response rate. Importantly, when it works, the impact is durable. In other words, depression is less likely to relapse. Thus, is important because depression tends to be a relapsing condition.
It is also one of the few depression treatments that also improves quality of life.
The battery lasts for about 10 years, and it’s considered to be a safe treatment.
One caveat is that it works slowly, building up momentum over a year. This is because, we think the electrical stimulation helps promote growth and connection in the brain. Nerves grow slowly!
Other interesting facts:
If you or someone that you know might benefit from VNS, please call or text our office to set up a consultation.
Who could have imagined that we would be using cardiac pacemaker technology to treat depression? Isn’t science awesome?