Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a medical procedure that is being used to treat severe depression that has not responded to medications or psychotherapy. VNS is more invasive than rTMS; a doctor must make an incision and insert wires into your chest. These wires are wrapped around your vagus nerve, a long nerve that travels vertically through your chest. The wires are then connected to a cardiac pacemaker-like device that is implanted under your skin. After the procedure, you are left with an incision scar and a small bump on your chest. The pacemaker is programmed to provide a pulse of electrical current through your vagus nerve at predetermined intervals.
The antidepressant effect of VNS was discovered by accident. Stimulating the vagus nerve in the chest was first used to stop uncontrollable epileptic seizures. Depressed epileptics found that the VNS helped reduce both their seizures and their depression. The most common adverse effects of VNS are pain at the incision, hoarseness, husky voice, and shortness of breath. Some people have an uncomfortable sensation in their chest periodically throughout the day, each time their vagus nerves are stimulated.
Despite its potential usefulness, VNS has many safety issues and is currently a rather drastic procedure for the treatment of unipolar major depression. Surgically opening your chest is a serious procedure that leaves you vulnerable to infection, and we do not yet know enough about the long-term effects of VNS on your vagus nerve or your health in general.
See also:
- What Is Vagus Nerve Stimulation and What Does VNS Stand For?
- What Separates Clinical or Unipolar Depression From Bipolar Depression?
- How Does the Depression That Follows a Brain Injury Differ From Unipolar Major Depression?
- Why Are There So Many Different Names for Depression?
- Is Unipolar Major Depression Just Another Term for Life Stress?
