Seems like a rather low success rate for such an invasive procedure.
Terminal Man!
"Marybeth" <terrymce@aol.com500> wrote in message
news:20040612111604.13941.00000658@mb-m19.aol.com...
X-no-archive:yes
Ran across this and thought someone might be interested in reading this.
Mary Beth
A Pacemaker for Depression?
By Susan Heavey, ReutersWASHINGTON (June 11) -
Chronically depressed adults who find no relief with drugs or
psychotherapy
could soon be able to try an implanted pacemaker-like device that sends
electrical pulses to the brain.The stopwatch-sized device by Cyberonics,
is
surgically inserted in the chest, where a wire runs up to wrap around a
nerve
in the neck.On Tuesday a Food and Drug Administration panel of outside
experts
will meet to discuss whether to recommend the agency approve the device --
already cleared for epilepsy -- for patients with stubborn
depression.Analysts
say FDA approval of VNS Therapy for depression is key for future growth of
the
company, which posted a $1.25 million loss last quarter. The agency
usually
follows the advice of its outside experts.Alexander Arrow, an analyst for
Lazard Freres, said approval would boost the company's sales market "at
least
threefold." While some of the company's statistical data is weak, the
panel is
likely to recommend approval, Arrow said.Shares of Houston, Texas-based
Cyberonics closed up 66 cents, or 3.72 percent, to $18.39 on the Nasdaq
Thursday, a day after hitting a 14-month low.Cyberonics officials declined
to
comment before the FDA panel meeting, but have said depression is an
"enormous
market opportunity."VNS Therapy, which is already approved for depression
in
Europe and Canada, could reach $1 billion in U.S. sales in 2010, company
officials said last year.BRAIN STIMULATIONShock treatments known as
electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, have long been used to treat severe
depression.While some critics charge the treatment is inhumane and unsafe,
researchers say modern electrical stimulation has improved over the last
70
years. It can be the only hope for desperate patients who do not benefit
from
antidepressants or counseling, they say.Unlike traditional shock
treatments
that provide overall brain stimulation, VNS Therapy targets one particular
nerve -- the vagus nerve.Continuous mild electronic pulses to the nerve
send
signals to the brain that Cyberonics says can lift mood."It is a very
different
sort of treatment than ECT," Sarah Lisanby, a Columbia University
psychiatry
professor who worked on early depression trials of VNS Therapy, said.In
one
study, 12 percent of 124 patients said their symptoms improved by half or
more
after one year. Another study showed between 21 percent and 30 percent of
205
patients improved a year later.Nearly 10 percent of Americans suffer from
depression, which is the leading cause of disability, according to the
National
Institutes of Health.Lisanby said about one-third of depressed patients do
not
improve with medication. With few other options, the most depressed have a
higher risk of suicide, she said."When treatment after treatment has
failed to
improve your condition and when your doctor doesn't know where to turn
next
...... (it) can contribute to people's sense of hopelessness," Lisanby
said.
.
