Impact of Adjunctive VNS on Drug Load, Depression Severity, and Number of Neuromodulatory Maintenance Treatments
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a long-term adjunctive treatment option in patients with difficult-to-treat depression (DTD). A total of <i>n</i> = 20 patients (mean age 52.6 years) were included in the multicenter, prospective, observational, naturalistic RESTORE-LIFE study and were tr...
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/2/159 |
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| author | Erhan Kavakbasi Helen Bauermeister Lars Lemcke Bernhard T. Baune |
| author_facet | Erhan Kavakbasi Helen Bauermeister Lars Lemcke Bernhard T. Baune |
| author_sort | Erhan Kavakbasi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a long-term adjunctive treatment option in patients with difficult-to-treat depression (DTD). A total of <i>n</i> = 20 patients (mean age 52.6 years) were included in the multicenter, prospective, observational, naturalistic RESTORE-LIFE study and were treated with adjunctive VNS as an add-on to treatment as usual. Exploratory and secondary outcome parameters from a single center were investigated for this present analysis. The overall mean drug load slightly decreased from 4.5 at baseline to 4.4 at 12 months (Z = −0.534, <i>p</i> = 0.594). The drug load was lower in previous electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) responders than in non-responders. There was a reduction in the mean number of hospitalizations per month after VNS implantation (Z = 1.975, <i>p</i> = 0.048) and a significant decrease in the mean Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score from 27.3 at baseline to 15.3 at 12 months (T = 4.230, degree of freedom (df) = 19, <i>p</i> = 0.001). A history of ECT response at baseline was associated with greater improvement in the MADRS score after 12 months of VNS (F = 8.171, <i>p</i> = 0.013). The number of neuromodulatory maintenance treatments decreased during the follow-up period. In summary, there was an alleviation in the burden of illness among DTD patients treated with VNS. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:39:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3cf1cb05d0e6403db9e4d3bbf86e6d8d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:39:30Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-3cf1cb05d0e6403db9e4d3bbf86e6d8d2024-02-23T15:09:45ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252024-02-0114215910.3390/brainsci14020159Impact of Adjunctive VNS on Drug Load, Depression Severity, and Number of Neuromodulatory Maintenance TreatmentsErhan Kavakbasi0Helen Bauermeister1Lars Lemcke2Bernhard T. Baune3Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Münster, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, University Hospital Münster, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, GermanyDepartment of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Münster, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, University Hospital Münster, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, GermanyVagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a long-term adjunctive treatment option in patients with difficult-to-treat depression (DTD). A total of <i>n</i> = 20 patients (mean age 52.6 years) were included in the multicenter, prospective, observational, naturalistic RESTORE-LIFE study and were treated with adjunctive VNS as an add-on to treatment as usual. Exploratory and secondary outcome parameters from a single center were investigated for this present analysis. The overall mean drug load slightly decreased from 4.5 at baseline to 4.4 at 12 months (Z = −0.534, <i>p</i> = 0.594). The drug load was lower in previous electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) responders than in non-responders. There was a reduction in the mean number of hospitalizations per month after VNS implantation (Z = 1.975, <i>p</i> = 0.048) and a significant decrease in the mean Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score from 27.3 at baseline to 15.3 at 12 months (T = 4.230, degree of freedom (df) = 19, <i>p</i> = 0.001). A history of ECT response at baseline was associated with greater improvement in the MADRS score after 12 months of VNS (F = 8.171, <i>p</i> = 0.013). The number of neuromodulatory maintenance treatments decreased during the follow-up period. In summary, there was an alleviation in the burden of illness among DTD patients treated with VNS.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/2/159difficult-to-treat depressiontreatment-resistant depressionesketaminevagus nerve stimulationelectroconvulsive therapymedication load |
| spellingShingle | Erhan Kavakbasi Helen Bauermeister Lars Lemcke Bernhard T. Baune Impact of Adjunctive VNS on Drug Load, Depression Severity, and Number of Neuromodulatory Maintenance Treatments Brain Sciences difficult-to-treat depression treatment-resistant depression esketamine vagus nerve stimulation electroconvulsive therapy medication load |
| title | Impact of Adjunctive VNS on Drug Load, Depression Severity, and Number of Neuromodulatory Maintenance Treatments |
| title_full | Impact of Adjunctive VNS on Drug Load, Depression Severity, and Number of Neuromodulatory Maintenance Treatments |
| title_fullStr | Impact of Adjunctive VNS on Drug Load, Depression Severity, and Number of Neuromodulatory Maintenance Treatments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of Adjunctive VNS on Drug Load, Depression Severity, and Number of Neuromodulatory Maintenance Treatments |
| title_short | Impact of Adjunctive VNS on Drug Load, Depression Severity, and Number of Neuromodulatory Maintenance Treatments |
| title_sort | impact of adjunctive vns on drug load depression severity and number of neuromodulatory maintenance treatments |
| topic | difficult-to-treat depression treatment-resistant depression esketamine vagus nerve stimulation electroconvulsive therapy medication load |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/2/159 |
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