Vagus nerve stimulation alleviates chronic anxiety in pilot study

Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and three other universities announced the results of a four-year pilot study, which tested the long-term response to Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) TherapyTM as an add-on treatment in patients with treatment-resistant anxiety disorders.

"Despite the availability of many treatments for anxiety disorders, only a minority of patients experience treatment-response, especially with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)," George said. "Data suggests VNS Therapy might be a potential long-term treatment for anxiety disorders. We are encouraged to see the unique benefits of VNS therapy for patients with treatment-resistant anxiety disorders."

The FDA approved VNS Therapy in 2005 as an adjunctive long-term treatment for chronic or recurrent depression for patients (18 years of age or older) who are experiencing a major depressive episode and have not had an adequate reaction to four or more antidepressant treatments. It is the only device ever studied and approved for treatment-resistant depression. VNS Therapy is delivered from a small pacemaker-like device implanted in the chest area that sends mild pulses to the brain via the vagus nerve in the neck.

The study, which focused on patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder, demonstrated VNS Therapy was well tolerated by a small group of participants. In addition, patients who responded to VNS Therapy continued to experience significant improvements.

(Source: Brain Stimulation: Medical University of South Carolina: July 2008)

Article Date: 6/7/2008

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Comment from: Vagus Nerve Disorders | 12/4/2010 4:13:26 PM

One of the most common vagus nerve disorders is nerve pain in hands and wrists. As for the carpal tunnel syndrome, patients experience swelling and inflammation in the wrists, hands and forearms, and possibly tingling in the fingers. This is often caused damage to the median nerve may be compressed as it passes through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. By an ulnar nerve dysfunction is another common problem associated with nerve pain in hands. So take care of your nerves the help of people who have no idea of how a shock of losing the full use of hands can have in your life until you experience it.

Comment from: Suzie | 1/4/2011 10:45:03 PM

The Vagus nerve stimulation is an adjunctive treatment for certain types of intractable epilepsy and the treatment resistant depression. VNS uses an implanted stimulator that sends the electric impulses to the left vagus nerve in the neck via a lead wire implanted under the skin. Because the vagus nerve is directly responsible for the number of bodily functions, such as breathing, maintaining the digestive function. The vagus nerve disorders is also known as or related to tenth cranial nerve lesion, vagus nerve palsy, vagus nerve structure or the body structure, disorder of pneumogastric nerve, vagus nerve, cranial nerve.

Comment from: sharon | 1/17/2011 7:07:23 PM

In vagus nerve stimulation the electrical signals in form of impulses is sent to the vagus nerve through the lead. It is used to cure seizures also works well for treating resistant depression.