| On September 1st, the efficacy and safety of vagus | | | | presented in these publications provide substantial |
| nerve stimulation for depresssion was published in the | | | | evidence of a growing benefit of VNS Therapy over |
| prestigious peer reviewed journal of Biological | | | | time when other treatments have not worked or have |
| Psychiatry.The data from the pivotal clinical trial of | | | | stopped working. This is particularly encouraging given |
| vagus nerve stimulation and depression was been on | | | | the nature of treatment-resistant depression, a |
| published September 1st, in the prestigious | | | | devastating and difficult to treat condition."The |
| peer-reviewed journal of Biological Psychiatry. There | | | | publication of these articles is very important to you |
| were three articles published in Biological Psychiatry | | | | because third party payers (private insurance |
| about VNS Therapy and depression. The articles | | | | companies, Medicare, etc.) will help facilitate the |
| confirm the association of VNS Therapy with | | | | approval of reimbursement of VNS Therapy for |
| significant antidepressant benefits that are sustained | | | | depression. Although reimbursement decisions will |
| and/or growing over one year for patients with chronic | | | | continue to be on a case-by-case basis, this is a critical |
| or recurrent treatment-resistant depression. Secondly, | | | | next step which will be viewed very positively by |
| the long-term safety of the procedure was | | | | insurance companies, Medicare as well as your |
| confirmed."The response and remission and sustained | | | | psychiatrist.You can learn more about this remarkable |
| long-term benefits realized by the patients treated with | | | | treatment at There is a free newsletter to keep you |
| adjunctive VNS Therapy is remarkable, given that | | | | up-to-date on the latest developments on this first |
| participants in the trials were some of the most | | | | ever FDA approved long term treatment option for |
| treatment-resistant, depressed patients ever studied, | | | | chronic or recurrent depression.Charles Donovan was |
| with at least half having been hospitalized for the | | | | a study study subject in the FDA investigational trial of |
| disease at least once," commented Dr. A. John Rush, | | | | vagus nerve stimulation and chronic depression. He is |
| MD, Professor and Vice Chairman for Research, | | | | the author of: Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's |
| Department of Psychiatry, Betty Jo Hay Chair in | | | | Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression and |
| Mental Health, Rosewood Corporation Chair in | | | | founder of the Web site.Out of the Black Hole: The |
| Biomedical Science, University of Texas Southwestern | | | | Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and |
| Medical Center, Dallas, TX. "The VNS studies | | | | Depression is available on Amazon. |