VNS, a New Treatment For Depression

In San Antonio, Texas, doctors are testing a new treatment for chronic depression. Instead of a drug, they are testing a device called a vagus nerve stimulation, or VNS. Similar to a pacemaker, it is implanted under the skin up of the patient delivers electrical pulses. These pulses are meant to regulate various areas of the brain. It is designed to "tweak" the neurochemcials that cause treatment-resistant depression.

Although the optimal dose is still unknown, doctors hope VNS therapy can be used for chronic depression patients who do not respond well to medication. The University of Texas Health Center of San Antonio is conducting tests with three different doses. On average, patients get one thirty second pulse every five minutes. So far, patients have responded very well to treatment. One patient, Gail Poyner, has been battling chronic depression for decades and medications were not helping. After having the VNS implanted for over a year, Poyner reports that her depression is seventy five percent better. Besides a tightness in the throat or a slight change in speech, there are few side effects.

Similar to the nanobots that we are designing, the VNS is a non-biological device that can trigger natural biological responses. By triggering certain chemicals in the brain, the patient can live happily without depression or medication. With the encouragement of the VNS, the brain can maintain a natural chemical balance.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/health/depression_treatment_sa.html