Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — A groundbreaking study has revealed the effect of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy on patients with severe, treatment-resistant depression. Individuals received the therapy experienced significant improvements in their symptoms and quality of life after one year.
The study published in the journal Brain Stimulation was part of the RECOVER trial. It included nearly 500 participants across 84 sites in the United States, according to Earth.com.
All participants had long histories of severe depression that had proven unresponsive to conventional treatments. On average, participants had tried multiple unsuccessful therapies and had lived with the disorder for more than half their lives.
“These patients are extremely ill, and most have been for a very long time,” said Charles R. Conway, the RECOVER trial’s principal investigator and a psychiatry professor at Washington University.
This phase of the RECOVER trial focused on treatment-resistant major depression, another arm of the study targeting bipolar depression is still ongoing.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy
Vagus nerve stimulation is a therapy involves implanting a small, pacemaker-like device under the skin of the chest. A thin wire connects the device to the left vagus nerve in the neck, a major nerve that links the brain to the body’s internal organs. The device sends mild electrical pulses to stimulate brain regions involved in mood regulation.
According to the Study, a total of 493 participants were implanted with the VNS device. Approximately half (249 participants) had their devices activated for the first 12 months, while the other half had implants that remained inactive during the same period.
All participants continued their standard depression care, including therapy and medication, while being discouraged from starting new antidepressants during the trial.
Over the course of the year, researchers regularly assessed participants’ progress using validated evaluation tools. The results showed that individuals with active VNS therapy experienced more frequent and meaningful improvements in their depressive symptoms compared to those with inactive devices.
Although complete remission was rare and showed no significant difference between the two groups, participants with activated devices reported feeling notably better. They also described tangible improvements in their quality of life and their ability to perform daily tasks.
“They’re not just saying, ‘Yeah, I feel a little better,’” Conway explained. “They’re reporting that their lives are improving in real, measurable ways.”
Future Directions for Personalized Treatment
Beyond demonstrating the potential of VNS therapy, researchers aim to identify which patients are most likely to benefit from the treatment. By pinpointing clinical histories or patterns of treatment failures associated with positive outcomes, scientists hope to tailor VNS therapy for maximum effectiveness.
“We want to know who stands to gain the most,” Conway said. “If we can identify specific traits linked to a good response, we can better target this therapy to those who need it most.”
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For patients battling severe, treatment-resistant depression, these findings on VNS therapy offer renewed hope. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved VNS therapy for treatment-resistant depression nearly two decades ago, but it never became widely adopted.
While VNS therapy is not a universal cure, it presents a promising option for those who have exhausted other treatment avenues, potentially offering meaningful and lasting improvements in their lives.
(Raidi/Agung)
