Vagus nerve stimulation(VNS) is a safe, FDA approved treatment for chronic or recurrent depression. VNS has increasingly been more accepted by the psychiatric community as its robust antidepressants effects of this treatment has on key areas of the brain is better understood by psychiatrists.

During 2006, the manufacturer of the stimulator plans to continue to educate psychiatrists and general practioners about this ninety minute out-patient procedure. Here a few of the plans:

• Three-hundred thirty representatives and case managers are participating in this nationwide education process. In addition to the face-to-face meetings with psychiatrists, the awareness and education process will include:

• Satellite Broadcast Event in 50 cities for 1,750 psychiatrists
• Fifty nationwide symposiums for 3,200 psychiatrists
• One-hundred Regional Symposiums for 2,000 psychiatrists Ninety teleconferences
• Continuing Medical Education Monograph (CME Credit)-7,000 psychiatrists Psychiatric Society Meetings

The data from the pivotal clinical trial of vagus nerve stimulation and depression was been on published September 1st, in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal of Biological Psychiatry. There were three articles published in Biological Psychiatry about VNS Therapy and depression. The articles confirm the association of VNS Therapy with significant antidepressant benefits that are sustained and/or growing over one year for patients with chronic or recurrent treatment-resistant depression. Secondly, the long-term safety of the procedure was confirmed.

"The response and remission and sustained long-term benefits realized by the patients treated with adjunctive VNS Therapy is remarkable, given that participants in the trials were some of the most treatment-resistant, depressed patients ever studied, with at least half having been hospitalized for the disease at least once," commented Dr. A. John Rush, MD, Professor and Vice Chairman for Research, Department of Psychiatry, Betty Jo Hay Chair in Mental Health, Rosewood Corporation Chair in Biomedical Science, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX. "The VNS studies presented in these publications provide substantial evidence of a growing benefit of VNS Therapy over time when other treatments have not worked or have stopped working. This is particularly encouraging given the nature of treatment-resistant depression, a devastating and difficult to treat condition."

The publication of these articles is very important to you because third party payers (private insurance companies, Medicare, etc.) will help facilitate the approval of reimbursement of VNS Therapy for depression. Although reimbursement decisions will continue to be on a case-by-case basis, this is a critical next step which will be viewed very positively by insurance companies, Medicare as well as your psychiatrist.

You can learn more about this remarkable treatment at http://www.VagusNerveStimulator.com There is a free newsletter to keep you up-to-date on the latest developments on this first ever FDA approved long term treatment option for chronic or recurrent depression.

Charles Donovan was a study study subject in the FDA investigational trial of vagus nerve stimulation and chronic depression. He is the author of:

Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression and founder of the VagusNerveStimulator.com Web site.

Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression is available on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com and at http://www.vagusnervestimulator.com/book/

The book was exhibited last month at the U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress in Las Vegas, which was attended by more than 5,000 psychiatrists.