Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy

This is the second part in a two-volume work on neuromodulation. It describes the techniques and procedures applied by direct contact with the central nervous system or cranial nerves (in order to modulate the function of neural networks) or in deeply located structures inside the nervous system (in order to alter the function on specific networks).

Could neurostimulation be a management option for yourpatients? Neurostimulation techniques present real management options forpatients with a range of neurologic and psychiatric disorders, suchas movement disorders, pain and depression. They should be activelyconsidered when conventional medical approaches have failed or areinappropriate. But for many clinicians, these new methods pose manyquestions. What are the available modalities? How do they work?Which patients might benefit from them? How do I explain theprocesses to patients? How do I monitor my patient’s progressafter implantation? Neurostimulation provides a concise, easy-to-read fusion ofthe clinical applications of implanted neurostimulators. Itdemystifies selection and referral criteria, maximizing therapy,programming the implanted neuromodulators, monitoring progress andtroubleshooting problems associated with neurostimulation. Written by an international cast of experts,Neurostimulation, sets the stage for you to provide realclinical benefit to your patients who might receive, or are alreadyusing, neurostimulators.

Treatment-resistant major depression and bipolar disorder are highly prevalent and disabling conditions associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Providing a concise view of the current definitions, assessment and evidence-based management of such disorders, this work reviews novel therapeutic targets, which may enhance the future therapeutic armamentarium of clinicians.

This practical guide to understanding the cranial nerves as the key to our psychological and physical well-being builds on Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory—one of the most important recent developments in human neurobiology. Drawing on more than thirty years of experience as a craniosacral therapist and Rolfer, Stanley Rosenberg explores the crucial role that the vagus nerve plays in determining our psychological and emotional states and explains that a myriad of common psychological and physical symptoms—from anxiety and depression to migraines and back pain—indicates a lack of proper functioning in the vagus nerve. Through a series of easy self-help exercises, the book illustrates the simple ways we can regulate the vagus nerve in order to initiate deep relaxation, improve sleep, and recover from injury and trauma. Additionally, by exploring the link between a well-regulated vagus nerve and social functioning, Rosenberg’s findings and methods offer new hope that by improving social behavior it is possible to alleviate some of the symptoms at the core of many cases of autism spectrum disorders. Useful for psychotherapists, doctors, bodyworkers, and caregivers, as well as anyone who experiences the symptoms of chronic stress and depression, this book shows how we can optimize autonomic functioning in ourselves and others, and bring the body into the state of safety that activates its innate capacity to heal.

This book covers recent advances in the use of electrostimulation therapies in movement disorders, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, memory and cognition, disorders of consciousness, foot drop, dysphagia, brain injury, headache, heart failure, hearing loss, and rheumatoid arthritis. It describes techniques such as vagus nerve stimulation, deep brain stimulation, and electrical stimulation of the pharyngeal nerve. Electroceuticals: Advances in Electrostimulation Therapies is aimed at clinicians and basic researchers in the fields of neurology, neurosurgery, cardiology and rheumatology.

This is the first book to be published by a patient about the journey out of the black hole of depression thanks to the remarkable medical breakthrough procedure of vagus nerve stimulation. Out of the Black Hole is written by a patient for patients with easy-to-understand explanations which demystify this simple, safe procedure and helps patients make an informed decision about the surgery. Vagus Nerve Stimulation is not related to brain surgery or ECT. There are no cognitive impairments (i.e. memory loss) or drug interactions. Included is information about the potential side effects, benefits, insurance reimbursement codes and reimbursement process.Vagus nerve stimulation has been FDA approved for epilepsy since 1997 and in July of 2005 the FDA approved vagus nerve stimulation for chronic or treatment-resistant depression. Over 30,000 patients have safely been implanted with the device for epilepsy. The procedure is generally done on an out-patient basis. This is considered one of the major breakthroughs in medical device history which could potentially help the 4.5 million Americans who suffer from the debilitating illness of chronic depression.

In 1997, Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) therapy (Cyberonics, Houston, Texas) was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of epilepsy refractory to antiepileptic medications. In 2005, VNS received FDA approval for treatment-resistant depression refractory to antidepressants, and Cyberonics recently received FDA approval for the clinical study of VNS for rapid cycling bipolar depression. Many researchers continue to investigate the anxiolytic effects of VNS in human and non-human animal models. The author presents a study of VNS effects on anxiety and the capacity of atropine methyl nitrate to attenuate these effects. The results indicate that VNS decreases anxiety in the laboratory animals tested. These findings provide evidence to support the testing and subsequent use of VNS therapy for the treatment of clinical anxiety in humans. Because many therapies that are effective in the treatment of depression effectively treat anxiety, VNS therapy should be effective and approvable for clinical anxiety. This book can serve as a research tool, training mechanism, or surgical guide to the implantation of the vagus nerve stimulating electrode in the laboratory rat. Hopefully, this resource provides information that facilitates FDA approval of VNS for treatment-resistant anxiety, a chronic, devastating and often debilitating illness.

Did you know... Medical interventions have become the third leading cause of death in America. An estimated 10 percent of Americans are implanted with medical devices -- like pacemakers, artificial hips, cardiac stents, etc. The overwhelming majority of high-risk implanted devices have never undergone a single clinical trial. In The Danger Within Us, award-winning journalist Jeanne Lenzer brings these horrifying statistics to life through the story of one working class man who, after his "cure" nearly kills him, ends up in a battle for justice against the medical establishment. His crusade leads Lenzer on a journey through the dark underbelly of the medical device industry, a fascinating and disturbing world that hasn't been written about before. What Lenzer exposes will shock readers: rampant corruption, elaborate cover-ups, shameless profiteering, and astonishing lack of oversight, all of which leads to dangerous devices (from artificial hips to pacemakers) going to market and into our bodies. In the vein of America's Bitter Pill and A Civil Action, The Danger Within Us is a stirring call for reform and a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of American healthcare. "Before you get anything implanted in your body, read this book."-Shannon Brownlee, author of Overtreated