Posted by jerrympls on August 4, 2003, at 1:43:06
In reply to What is a VNS Implant???, posted by Angelic9144 on August 1, 2003, at 17:49:32
> Hey, what is this VNS you are having removed?
>
> Thanks!
>VNS Stands for Vegal Nerve Stimulator. It's a "pacemaker for the brain." Basically, it's a device the size of a pocketwatch that's impanted under the skin with a lead that it attached to yoru vegus nerve. It was originally developed for treatmetn-resistant epilepsy and now they are doing an FDA study for treatment-resistant depression. I am involved in the study. It involves 250 people accross the US and is in the final year of the 3 year study.
For some people it has been a miracle - for others it hasn't worked. They've been testing it much like a new medication - change the settings and wait a week or two to see if things get better, etc.
You can read more information at www.cyberonics.com
poster:jerrympls
thread:246931
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030802/msgs/247933.html