Vagus nerve stimulation: A new tool for brain research and therapy

Biological psychiatry has a long history! of using somatic therapies to tl ent neuropsychiatric illnesses and to understand brain function, These meth ods have included neurosurgery, electroconvulsive therapy, and most recentl y, transcranial magnetic stimulation, Fourteen years ago researchers discov ered that intermittent electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve produces i nhibition of neural processes, which can alter brain electrical activity an d terminate seizures in dogs. Since then, approximately 6000 people worldwi de have received vagus nerve stimulation for treatment-resistant epilepsy. We review the neurobiology, and anatomy of the vagus nerve and provide an o verview of the vagus nerve stimulation technique. We also describe the safe ty and potential utility of vagus nerve stimulation as a neuroscience resea rch tool and as a putative treatment for psychiatric conditions. Vagus nerv e stimulation appears to be a promising new somatic intervention that may i mprove our understanding of brain function and has promise in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2000;47:287-295 (C) 2000 So ciety, of Biological Psychiatry.