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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffVagus nerve stimulation is a procedure that stimulates the vagus nerve with electrical impulses. Vagus nerve stimulation can be used to treat epilepsy when other treatments haven't worked. Vagus nerve stimulation is also a treatment for depression, and it's being studied for conditions such as multiple sclerosis, migraine and Alzheimer's disease.
There's one vagus nerve on each side of your body, running from your brainstem through your neck to your chest and abdomen.
With vagus nerve stimulation, a device is surgically implanted under the skin on your chest. A wire is threaded under your skin connecting the device to the left vagus nerve. When activated, the device sends electrical signals along the vagus nerve to your brainstem, which then sends signals to certain areas in your brain.
- Beekwilder JP, et al. Overview of the clinical applications of vagus nerve stimulation. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology. 2010;27:130.
- Krahl SE. Vagus nerve stimulation for epilepsy: A review of the peripheral mechanisms. Surgical Neurology International. 2012;3(Suppl 1):S47.
- Chengyuan Wu, et al. Neurostimulation for the treatment of epilepsy: A review of current surgical interventions. Neuromodulation. In press. Accessed
- VNS therapy system — P970003s050. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/DeviceApprovalsandClearances/Recently-ApprovedDevices/ucm078532.htm. Accessed Oct. 23, 2012.
- Vagus nerve stimulation. American Association of Neurosurgeons. http://www.aans.org/Patient%20Information/Conditions%20and%20Treatments/Vagus%20Nerve%20Stimulation.aspx. Accessed Oct. 23, 2012.
- Martin JLR, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of vagus nerve stimulation in the treatment of depression: Variable results based on study designs. European Psychiatry 2012;27:147.
- Britton JW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 24, 2012.
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