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Updated: Mar 14, 2026
Vagus Nerve Stimulation As an Adjunctive Neurostimulation Tool in Treatment-resistant Depression
Published on: January 7, 2019
Socioeconomic evaluation of vagus stimulation: A controlled national study
Poul Jennum1, Anne Sabers2, Jakob Christensen3
1Danish Center for Sleep Medicine, Neurophysiology Clinic, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Purpose:
We aimed to determine the health costs and social outcomes in terms of education, employment and income level after insertion of a vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) in patients with epilepsy.
Methods:
This is a case-control study using Danish health care and socioeconomic register data. The analysis of the effect involved a comparison of the health care costs, occupation and income status of VNS-treated epilepsy patients with those of a control group of epilepsy patients who had a VNS implanted during the 12 months before the index date (pre-period) and during the two years after the index date (post-period).
Results:
101 patients who had undergone VNS implantation and 390 control patients were included. VNS implantation was associated with fewer inpatient admissions and emergency room visits and less frequent use of prescription medication compared with epilepsy patients without VNS implantation. VNS implantation was not associated with changes in occupational status (including employment and income). In fact, the number of people on disability pension increased during the period.
Conclusions:
VNS implantation in people with epilepsy is associated with reduced health care use, but not with occupational or social status.
