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Updated: Apr 18, 2026
Vagus Nerve Stimulation As an Adjunctive Neurostimulation Tool in Treatment-resistant Depression
Published on: January 7, 2019
On-off closed-loop control of vagus nerve stimulation for the adaptation of heart rate
Abstract:
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a potential therapeutic approach in a number of clinical applications. Although VNS is commonly delivered in an open-loop approach, it is now recognized that closed-loop approaches may be necessary to optimize the therapy and minimize side effects of neuro-stimulation devices. In this paper, we describe a prototype system for real-time control of the instantaneous heart rate, working synchronously with the heart period. As a first step, an on-off control method has been integrated. The system is evaluated on one sheep with induced heart failure, showing the interest of the proposed approach.
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