Adjunctive vagus nerve stimulation for treatment-resistant depression: a preliminary study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) poses a significant challenge in psychiatric care.
• Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an emerging neuromodulatory technique.
• This study is the first to investigate VNS for Chinese TRD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of VNS as an adjunctive therapy for TRD in a Chinese population.
• To assess changes in depressive, anxiety, and neurocognitive symptoms over time.
• To identify common adverse effects associated with VNS treatment.

Main Methods:

• Seven TRD patients received VNS device implantation.
• A 9-month follow-up period was employed.
• Depression (HAMD-24), anxiety (HAMA), and neurocognitive function (WAIS, WMS) were assessed.

Main Results:

• Antidepressant response and remission rates increased from 42.9% and 28.6% at 3 months to 85.7% and 57.1% at 9 months.
• Significant improvements were observed in depression, anxiety, and cognitive scores over time (p < 0.05).
• The most frequent adverse effects were voice alteration (100%) and increased cough frequency (71.4%).

Conclusions:

• Adjunctive VNS is a safe and effective treatment for Chinese patients with TRD.
• The therapeutic benefits of VNS in TRD patients appear to increase with treatment duration.
• VNS offers a viable therapeutic option for TRD, with manageable side effects.