Despite the recent addition of more than ten new antiepileptic drugs on the market, epilepsy remains poorly controlled in almost 30% of patients. For this subgroup of patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has become a viable option. More recently, it has also shown promise in treatment-resistant depression. This article discusses VNS's history, current applications, and potential to treat chronic neurologic and psychiatric disorders.
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Method for measuring cervical vagal nerve activity in conscious rats.
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