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[Vagus nerve stimulation and depression].

Suhan Senova1, Corentin Rabu2, Sami Beaumont3

  • 1AP-HP, hôpitaux universitaires Henri-Mondor, DHU PePSY, service de neurochirurgie, 94000 Créteil, France; IMRB/Université Paris 12, équipe Inserm de thérapies innovantes en neurochirurgie Fonctionnelle, 94000 Créteil, France.

Presse Medicale (Paris, France : 1983)
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) offers a consistent benefit-risk balance for treatment-resistant depression, particularly for long-term remission in severe cases. This review explores VNS efficacy and patient suitability for this advanced therapy.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Surgical Treatments

Background:

  • Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an established yet underutilized treatment for treatment-resistant depression.
  • Despite consistent evidence of efficacy and a favorable benefit-risk profile over 15 years, VNS adoption remains limited, particularly in France.
  • Barriers include physician reluctance towards surgical options, historical methodological challenges in clinical trials, and the need for specialized multidisciplinary teams.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as a viable treatment option for depression.
  • To summarize the existing evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of VNS for depression.
  • To identify specific patient profiles most likely to benefit from VNS therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Review of clinical trials and studies on Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for depression over the past two decades.
  • Analysis of efficacy, tolerance, and benefit-risk balance of VNS.
  • Delineation of patient characteristics suitable for VNS treatment.

Main Results:

  • VNS demonstrates a unique efficacy profile, excelling in maintaining remission for difficult-to-stabilize depression.
  • Its effectiveness is noted in both unipolar and bipolar depression, and even during Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) withdrawal.
  • VNS addresses unmet medical needs in severe and chronic depression patients.

Conclusions:

  • Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a valuable therapeutic option for severe, chronic, and treatment-resistant depression.
  • It offers long-term remission maintenance, addressing a critical gap in current psychiatric treatment algorithms.
  • Further integration of VNS into treatment protocols requires overcoming existing barriers and recognizing its potential for specific patient populations.