Neurostimulation therapy for depression offers new hope

New device that stimulates the vagus nerve with a small electrical current helps people with drug-resistant depression

Up to two-thirds of people with depression do not respond to medication. Now, researchers at the University of Washington have found that implanting a device that sends mild electrical signals to the brain from the vagus nerve — a nerve that runs from the brain to the chest — can improve their quality of life.

The study included nearly 600 patients with depression, whose symptoms could not be relieved with four or more types of antidepressants. The team implanted 328 of those with ambiguous nerve stimuli, while 271 continued with other treatments. The researchers found that those with the triggers improved significantly on 10 of 14 measures of quality of life including physical health, family relationships and ability to work.

"When evaluating patients with treatment-resistant depression, we need to focus more on their overall health," said psychiatrist Charles R. Conway, who led the research. “A lot of patients are taking at least three, four or five antidepressants, and they just barely pass. But when you add in a vague neurostimulator, it can make a huge difference in people's lives.”

Study co-author Charles Donovan had been hospitalized for depression several times. “Slowly but surely, it brightened my mood. It went from being catatonic to feeling depressed or not depressed.” “Before the fan, I didn't want to leave the house, I couldn't focus on sitting and watching a movie. But after I got the trigger, I could do things like read a book or watch a TV show. These things have improved my quality of life.