Vagal Nerve Stimulation: A New Treatment at Breakthru

For those locked in battles with chronic mental health conditions, the path to relief often seems hopelessly blocked, as even the most sophisticated pharmaceuticals and psychotherapies can prove powerless against the insidious grip of depression. 

Enter Vvagus Nnerve Sstimulation (VNS) Therapy — a roadblock-busting neuropsychiatry therapy and our newest treatment at Breakthru Psychiatric Solutions for those with treatment-resistant depression.

Atlanta-based, board-certified Dr. Karen Giles specializes in interventional psychiatry and offers cutting-edge, evidence-based treatments for complex mental health conditions. Here, she explains vagus nerve stimulation therapy, how it works, and who can benefit from it. 

The role of the vagal nerve in mental health

An intricate part of the parasympathetic nervous system, the vagus nerve is a vital conduit between the brain and the body, regulating various bodily processes, including those that underpin your emotional well-being. 

Recent research shows that because the vagus nerve affects mood regulation, vagus nerve dysfunction can lead to a higher risk of various mental health conditions, especially depression.

These findings represent a paradigm shift, revealing the vagus nerve as a central element of mental health. 

Eminent medical institutions, including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, have devoted extensive resources to educating and informing the public about this emerging frontier in neurotherapeutics, and Dr. Giles is one of the leading advocates.

The science behind VNS Therapy: A revolutionary approach to mental health

VNS Therapy involves implanting a small device, similar to a pacemaker, that delivers mild, intermittent electrical impulses to the vagus nerve. By modulating this critical neural pathway, VNS Therapy recalibrates the brain’s functioning, especially in cases where the standard pharmacological and psychotherapeutic haven’t succeeded.

At its core, VNS Therapy illustrates the bi-directional influence between your brain and body. 

Dr. Giles works with expert surgeons who place the neurostimulator, the heartbeat of the VNS system, beneath your skin near your collarbone. Electric leads snake their way up to the left vagal nerve, disrupting the inertia of depressive symptomatology at both the neural and emotional levels. 

The risks associated with the implantation and the ongoing use of VNS are relatively minimal, mainly confined to complications linked to surgery and potential side effects that include voice alteration, hoarseness, throat discomfort, or coughing (only while electrical stimulation is occuring).

VNS Therapy at Breakthru Psychiatric Solutions

Breakthru Psychiatric Solutions has taken the reins in this medical innovation, ensuring that VNS Therapy is an accessible option for those in the throes of unrelenting depression. Our comprehensive program guides you through the initial evaluation to the implantation surgery and beyond. We diligently tune and track the VNS system to optimize your treatment.

The best candidates for VNS Therapy are those wrestling with treatment-resistant unipolar and bipolar depression, chronic episodes that have thwarted conventional treatments. VNS Therapy is one of the only FDA-approved  interventional treatments for treatment-resistant bipolar depression.   

VNS Therapy isn’t a stand-alone treatment; it’s a complementary therapy we add to your existing treatments. Combining VNS Therapy with antidepressants increases your chances of symptom relief. 

VNS Therapy vs. traditional treatments

While traditional depression medications target the chemical imbalances in the brain, and cognitive-behavioral therapies aim to rewire thought pathways, VNS takes a different route, effecting changes in the core of the signaling apparatus — the neurocircuitry itself. 

Furthermore, VNS’s effects typically last longer than pharmaceuticals, and the treatment has fewer systemic side effects.

If you or a loved one have been battling treatment-resistant depression, VNS Therapy may be the next-level treatment you need. Call Breakthru Psychiatric Solutions in Sandy Springs, Georgia, or request an appointment online.