BRAIN STIMULATION: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation
Volume 1, Issue 2 , Pages 112-121 , April 2008

A pilot study of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for treatment-resistant anxiety disorders

  • Mark S. George, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress reprints requests to: Dr. Mark S. George, 502N, IOP, Medical University of South Carolina, 67 President Street, Charleston, SC 29425.
    • ,
  • Herbert E. Ward Jr., MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida School of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida
    • ,
  • Philip T. Ninan, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
    • ,
  • Mark Pollack, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
    • ,
  • Ziad Nahas, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
    • ,
  • Berry Anderson, RN

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
    • ,
  • Samet Kose, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
    • ,
  • Robert H. Howland, MD

      Affiliations

    • Western Psychiatric Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    • ,
  • Wayne K. Goodman, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida School of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida
    • ,
  • James C. Ballenger, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina

Received 25 August 2007 ,Revised 22 January 2008 ,Accepted 19 February 2008.

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 This study was supported in part by grants from Cyberonics, Inc. Data were collected by Quintiles Transnational Corp. Statistical analyses were performed by Amara K. Jayewardene, MS, and John Allen, Jr., PhD, of Cyberonics, Inc., manufacturer of the VNS Therapy System and reviewed by the authors. Susan E. Siefert, ELS, CBC, also of Cyberonics, assisted with the development of the manuscript.

 Dr. George has received research grants from Cyberonics, and is on the Cyberonics Depression and Mechanism of Action Scientific Advisory Boards.

 Dr. Nahas has received research grants and speaking fees from Cyberonics.

 Dr. Robert H. Howland has received research support from Aspect Medical Systems; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Cyberonics; Forest; Cederroth; National Institutes of Mental Health; National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. He has received speaking fees from Wyeth; Bristol-Myers Squibb; AstraZeneca; Cyberonics.

 Amara Jayewardene, MS, John Allen, Jr, PhD, and Susan E. Siefert, ELS, CBC, are employees of Cyberonics.

 Dr. Allen and Ms Siefert own Cyberonics stock. Dr. Ninan is now an employee of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

 Dr. Pollack is a paid adviser, consultant or speaker for AstraZeneca, Brain Cells Inc, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cephalon, Forest Laboratories, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, Medavante, Neurocrine, Neurogen, Novartis, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Predix, Roche, Laboratories, Sanofi, Sepracor, Solvay, Tikvah Therapeutics, Transcept Inc, UCB Pharma, and Wyeth. He has equity stake in Medavante and Mensante Corporation. He has received research grants from Bristol Myers Squibb, Cephalon, Cyberonics, Forest Laboratories, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Eli Lilly, NARSAD, NIDA NIMH, Pfizer, Sepracor, UCB Pharma, and Wyeth.

 Although Cyberonics sponsored the trial, the authors were involved in initial study design, data collection, manuscript writing, and have had full access to the data.

 Aspects of this trial have been previously reported in poster format at:

 George MS, et al: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) shows potential therapeutic benefit for severe anxiety disorders in an initial open trial. 41st American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual Meeting. December 2002.

 Ward H, et al: Treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder: potential benefit of VNS therapy. 23rd Annual Conference of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. March 2003.

 George MS, et al: Open trial of VNS therapy in severe anxiety disorder. 156th American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting. May 17-22, 2003, San Francisco, California.

PII: S1935-861X(08)00003-X

doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2008.02.001

BRAIN STIMULATION: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation
Volume 1, Issue 2 , Pages 112-121 , April 2008

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