A major symposium about vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic or recurrent depression will be presented at the American Psychiatric Association's Annual Meeting in May. This is the largest gathering of psychiatrists in the world and over 25,000 psychiatrists will be in attendance.

On February 3, 2005, the FDA deemed vagus nerve stimulation(VNS Therapy) approvable as a treatment for chronic or recurrent treatment-resistant depression. The formal launch of VNS Therapy will take place at this meeting of the leading psychiatrists in the world. The manufacturer of the vagus nerve stimulator, Cyberonics Inc., will have a major symposium on the topic of VNS Therapy as a treatment for depression.

VNS is not related to brain surgery or electroconvulsive therapy. There is no cognitive impairment( i.e. memory loss) or interactions with drugs. The sixty-minute procedure is usually performed in an out-patient hospital and the recovery process is less than five days.

The book: Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression will be exhibited at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in May. The book is available at www.VagusNerveStimulator.com, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. It is written by a patient, who suffered from severe chronic depression and was implanted with the stimulator in the FDA investigational trial. The therapy completely changed his life.

You can learn more at www.VagusNerveStimulator.com. There is a free electronic newsletter to keep you up-to-date.

Charles Donovan was a patient in the FDA investigational trial of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic or recurrent treatment-resistant depression. He was implanted with the vagus nerve stimulator in April of 2001. He chronicles his journey from the grips of depression thanks to vagus nerve stimulation therapy in his book:

Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression

He is editor the http://www.VagusNerveStimulator.com Web Site