Vagus Nerve Stimulation, or VNS, refers to the implantation of an electrode on a patient’s Vagus nerve in their neck, powered by a small battery below their clavicle. This electrode sends electrical therapy up to the patient’s brain, helping control seizures. Furthermore, newer models of the device also monitor the patient’s heart rate to know when a seizure is coming on, using that signal as a trigger to deliver more stimulation.
Vagus nerve stimulators are one of the first neuromodulation strategies that neurosurgeons had to treat difficult-to-cure types of epilepsy. Over half of patients see a drastic reduction of seizure frequency with the device, and a small fraction even become seizure free. If you want to learn more about Vagus Nerve Stimulation, feel free to read more at the Epilepsy Foundation website, at Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Seizures | Epilepsy Foundation.
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