'BODY OF EVIDENCE' INCREASING ON VNS AS EFFECTIVE DEPRESSION TREATMENT, SAYS CYBERONICS

Data from two brain imaging studies of patients who received vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) are part of an "increasing body of evidence" of the treatment's benefit, Cyberonics said May 25.

The first study used positron emission tomography (PET) scans to show changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the brain following intensive VNS. The second study used fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET scans to demonstrate longer-term metabolic changes in the brain.

Cyberonics' announcement is one in a series issued recently by the company that tout positive findings regarding VNS as an effective treatment for severe depression. Those findings were presented at a recent meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in Toronto.