Vagus nerve stimulation: A proven therapy for treatment of epilepsy strives to improve efficacy and expand applications

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an approved therapy for the treatment of adult patients and adolescents aged 12 years and older who have partial onset seizures refractory to antiepileptic medications. More than 50,000 patients worldwide have been implanted with the VNS system. Work continues to understand the mechanism of action of VNS with the goal of improving the treatment, particularly to identify patients who will be helped by VNS, to develop a closed-loop seizure detection system, and to improve the selection of stimulation parameters. VNS has also been approved for treatment-resistant depression, and it may have utility in the treatment of a variety of other medical disorders.