[News] VNS & Depression Investigation

[Nakamova]

As I understand it, VNS is actually an implant, kinda like a pacemaker -- so it actually IS invasive. Whereas, TMS involves holding a wire coil close to the head to produce the magnetic stimulation -- there's no physical contact involved, so in that sense it is truly non-invasive .

[NancyB]

Thankyou, Nakamova, for agreeing vns IS invasive. Cyberonics claims it isn't. When my sister had hers, it was implanted into her body. ANYTHING implanted into your body IS invasive PERIOD. An FDA spokesperson discussed TMS in a WebMD article entitled: FDA OKs TMS Depression Device, and according to that article TMS uses a magnetic field to induce a much smaller electrical current than the ECT device, in a specific part of the brain without causing a loss of consciousness. It is not as powerful as ECT and is used to treat milder depression. It also does not require sedation and is administered on an out-patient basis. Then in a Wikipedia article: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, it says that TMS uses electromagnetic stimulation to generate an electrical current across the scalp and skull without physical contact. A plastic enclosed coil of wire is held next to the skull, and when activated produces a magnetic field which penetrates only to a maximum depth of 3 centimeters into the brain, in the area directly adjacent to the coil.