VNS Delivers Two Therapies for Epilepsy

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) can now be used to mitigate mood disorders as well as seizures in people with epilepsy. The therapy has been recently cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of chronic depression and was cleared in 1997 as a therapy for the seizures of epilepsy.

Vagus nerve stimulation entails having a small electrical device implanted in the patient's chest, which is connected to the vagus nerve at the side of the neck. The device delivers small bursts of electricity at various intervals to prevent a seizure from happening. Depression is one of the most under-recognized and under-treated conditions in people with epilepsy, and has a significantly greater negative effect on quality of life than the seizures themselves.

"We are extremely pleased with the FDA's approval of VNS therapy as a long-term adjunctive treatment in chronic depression,” noted Eric Hargis, president and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation (Washington, DC, USA). "Depression affects more than a third of all individuals with epilepsy. Yet, it is greatly underdiagnosed in people with seizure disorders.”

In addition to the depression associated with the disease itself, the mood disorder is correlated with being a young adult, having lower income, lower rates of employment, more disability, more social concerns, and more side effects due to antiepileptic medication. The VNS device is manufactured by Cyberonics (Houston, TX, USA).





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