|
|
| |
Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Chronic or Treatment-Resistant
About Vagus Nerve Stimulation VNS is not related to brain surgery, although it is a treatment that affects the function of the brain. Vagus Nerve Stimulation uses specific stimulation of the vagus nerve to send stimulation to specific parts of the brain that are involved in mood. It is not like Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT), a treatment that involves stimulation of the entire brain and induces convulsions in patients. In fact, patients may not even feel the stimulation from VNS since the vagus nerve does not have the type of nerves that carry pain signals. Nor does VNS interfere with drugs, and patients having Vagus Nerve Stimulation can continue taking their other drugs without worrying about side effects or interactions between drugs.
Natural Anxiety Pills
 |
Fast natural relief of anxiety.
Scientifically Formulated Based on Clinical Research to:
- Prevent panic attacks
- Naturally Balance Your Brain Chemistry
- 100% safe. No side effects
- Stop Anxiety!
- Relieve Irritability and Anxiety
- Feel great all day every day
User Ratings 4.9 / 5 |
About the author: Charles Donovan was a patient in the FDA investigational trial of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic or recurrent treatment-resistant depression. He was implanted with the vagus nerve stimulator in April of 2001. He chronicles his journey from the grips of depression thanks to vagus nerve stimulation therapy in his book:
The recently completed one-year, double blind, placebo controlled trial had 235 patients from 21 participating hospitals in the United States, and showed clinically significant improvements due to treatment compared to baseline (note . The acute (short-term) phase lasted three months, during which half of the patients received stimulation (treatment group) and half did not (control group). The long-term phase of the study lasted an additional 9 months (for one year total treatment) of stimulation. The HRSD-24 (24 item clinician-rated Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) improvements observed over the first year were highly significant. The results of this long-term, pivotal study were submitted to FDA in October 2003; the FDA's decision on the use of Vagus Nerve Stimulation for depression is not anticipated before October 2004 (note . Of note, Vagus Nerve Stimulation therapy was approved for use in patients with treatment resistant depression in the European Union in March 2001, and in Canada in April 2001 (note .
When Vagus Nerve Stimulation was first approved for epilepsy, some patients reported an improvement in mood. Researchers decided to design a study specifically to measure changes in a patient's mood and depression due to stimulation of the vagus nerve. In 1999, scientists began the first open label (no placebo group) study for depression with 60 patients. This first study found that there was indeed an improvement in mood for depressed patients. Based on this study, a more detailed and thorough study was designed to determine if Vagus Nerve Stimulation would be a safe, tolerable and effective treatment for chronic depression.
References 1. Pharmacoresistant Epilepsy and VNS Therapy. September 24, 2003 presentation by J.W. Wheless, MD. The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston TX, USA. 2. Form 10-Q for Cyberonics Inc, September 4, 2003. 3. Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy Mechanisms of Action. September 24, 2003 presentation by M.S. George, MD. Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. 4. The Investigation of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Depression. September 24, 2003 presentation by R.L. Rudolph, MD. Cyberonics, Inc. Developing a vision on how to cure public anxiety, we saw the need of providing some enlightenment in how to cure public anxiety for others to learn more about how to cure public anxiety.
The surgery to implant the NCP System takes 45 minutes to two hours. Local, regional or general anesthesia (putting the patient to sleep) is used during the surgery; the doctor and anesthetist determine which type of anesthesia is best for each patient. Most Vagus Nerve Stimulation patients will have outpatient surgery, (note but some patients may need to stay in the hospital overnight, and in that case they will need a family member or companion to take them home from the hospital.
How Does Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy Work? The Pulse Generator (battery) delivers a small amount of electrical current to the vagus nerve intermittently (30 seconds on and five minutes off) (note 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for up to 10 years. The stimulation is delivered automatically, so the patient does not have to do anything. Because there is nothing to remember, compliance is assured. The stimulation is not supposed to be uncomfortable, and some patients do not even feel the stimulation. A nurse at the doctor's office can adjust the level of stimulation (amount of electricity delivered) if the patient ever feels uncomfortable. In the study currently being reviewed by the FDA, researchers noted several similarities between epileptic and depressed patients (note .
Natural Anxiety Pills
|
Fast natural relief of anxiety.
Scientifically Formulated Based on Clinical Research to:
- Prevent panic attacks
- Naturally Balance Your Brain Chemistry
- 100% safe. No side effects
- Stop Anxiety!
- Relieve Irritability and Anxiety
- Feel great all day every day
User Ratings 4.9 / 5 |
On July 15, 2005, the FDA approved vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic depression. What Is the Vagus Nerve? Vagus means "wandering" in Latin, and is the perfect description for the vagus nerve, the longest nerve in the body. It averages almost two feet in length and "wanders" throughout the upper body. The vagus nerve starts in the brain, goes down the neck and into the body where if affects the vocal cords, the acid content of the stomach, the heart, the lungs, and other organs. In the brain it projects to areas believed to be responsible for seizures, mood, appetite, memory and anxiety (note . However, the vagus nerve cord does not have many pain nerves, so stimulation of the vagus nerve is not painful, although some patients may feel some sensation when electrical pulses are generated.
Is the Vagus Nerve Stimulation Surgery Final? The Vagus Nerve Stimulator can be turned off or removed (explanted) at any time if the patient feels that it is not helping, or in the unlikely event that the patient can't tolerate the stimulation. The device can be completely turned off in less than 30 seconds in the doctor's office, all it takes is for a nurse to hold a programmable wand over the skin above the Pulse Generator. Explantation (removal) of the Vagus Nerve Stimulation device is also possible, however, less than one half of one percent of the 22,000 patients have elected to have the device removed. As for implantation, the surgery to remove the device is a very simple procedure. Only the Pulse Generator is taken out of the body; attempting to remove the electrode from around the vagus nerve could cause damage, and is not recommended.
One of the most important similarities is that Vagus Nerve Stimulation treatment efficacy improves over time. The longer the patient receives stimulation, the better the results. In addition, both populations of patients share the following:
What Happens After the Vagus Nerve Stimulation Surgery? Most Vagus Nerve Stimulation patients go home the same day or the next day. You will feel some minor stiffness/soreness around the area of the implant for a few days. Your doctor may prescribe a minor pain medication such as Tylenol with codeine. A week later your surgeon will probably want to check the scars and a nurse can program/change the settings on the stimulator in the doctor's office.
The History of Vagus Nerve Stimulation Vagus Nerve Stimulation has been used to treat epilepsy patients for years; the first human clinical trial was in 1988 (note , and the FDA approved VNS therapy for epilepsy in 1997 (note . So far over 22,000 people worldwide have had VNS therapy (note , and it has proven to be a safe and effective treatment for epilepsy. These patients have reported minimal side effects, which have tended to decrease over time. The efficacy of the treatment has also been shown to increase with longer treatment time (note .
Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve
Stimulation and Depression
The boo
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
Learn More about Natural Breast Enhancement
Generic Xanax is a tranquilizer used in the short-term relief of
symptoms of anxiety or the treatment of anxiety disorders.
Anxiety disorder is marked by unrealistic worry or excessive
fears and concerns. Generic Xanax is also used in the treatment
of panic disorder, which appears as unexpected panic attacks and
may be accompanied by a fear of open spaces called agoraphobia.
Only your doctor can... 
Are you one of over 40 million people suffering a personal
nightmare caused by stress, depression and anxiety? These
illnesses are the modern plague and they ruin lives. And year
in, year out, more and more people are affected.
I came out of a nightmare 5-year period of anxiety and
depression and I did it without taking any drugs. What
frustrated me is that despite advances in understanding...
Social anxiety is particularly common in our society. It is estimated that up anywhere around 20% of the adult population is affected by some form of anxiety, including social anxiety, at some stage in their lives. The good news is that social anxiety is a disorder that can often be successfully treated.
There are a range of treatments available for sufferers of anxiety in its various forms....
It is a part of life for humans to feel anxiety on occasion. We all have, in some part of our lives, experienced worry, nervousness, fear, and concern. We feel nervous when we have to go for that big job interview, or stand in front of a group of our peers and deliver a speech, or just a simple doctors visit makes some people feel nervous. Pictures of insects and snakes can set some people off,...
Is there an effective remedy for anxiety? If you suffer from anxiety we first have to take a look at what you should avoid, even before we go deeper into the causes of anxiety:
* Avoid Coffee
I found this one a bit though myself a while back when I had to give up coffee for good. It was not easy and I can understand anyone, because I have been a caffeine addict for almost 10 years. And...
how to help a depressed person | how to cure anxiety | how can i naturally reduce anxiety | how can i stop being depressed | how can i stop feeling depressed | how to cure public anxiety | how to cure depression headaches | how to cure depression |
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
