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Article: Could this electronic implant cure depression?
- Article from:
- Daily Mail (London)
- Article date:
- April 24, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Solo Syndication Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: MARTYN HALLE
THOUSANDS of people with depression who don't respond to drug treatment could be cured by a new device. Doctors are using a tiny generator to send pulses of electric current to the brain.
It has already been used to help epileptics who have seizures which can't be stopped by other methods.
Now neurologists and psychiatrists are looking at Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS) to relieve depression.
The device - not much bigger than a matchbox - is implanted in the chest, just under the skin, with a wire running to the vagus nerve in the neck.
It then transmits pulses of extremely low electrical current via the ...