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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Vagus Nerve Stimulation As an Adjunctive Neurostimulation Tool in Treatment-resistant Depression
Published on: January 7, 2019
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for depression: what do we know now and what should be done next?
Ziad Nahas1, Carol Burns, Milton J Foust
1Mood Disorders Program, Medical Director of Brain Stimulation Laboratory; Institute of Psychiatry, 67 President Street, Room 502 North, Charleston, SC 29403, USA. nahasz@musc.edu
Abstract:
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy is the first US Food and Drug Administration-approved somatic clinical intervention for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Long-term open data suggest a sustainable antidepressant response over time. Here we review the clinical data that exist so far and their limitations. We also discuss guidelines that may inform the clinical utilization of this procedure. Further clinical studies, in addition to prospective cost utilization and health economic investigations, are needed to better understand VNS therapy and the impact it holds on TRD care.
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