Quality-of-life benefits may be experienced by nonresponders and responders
Patients undergoing adjunctive VNS Therapy experienced significant quality-of-life benefits that were sustained long term.¹ Additionally, significant long-term improvements in Vitality, Role (Emotional), Mental Health, and Social Function were reported by nonresponders and responders after 9 months of therapy.^1,2

*Medical Outcomes Study Short Form, 36-item, established norm is 80.

*Medical Outcomes Study Short Form, 36-item, established norm is 80.

Clinical benefit that improves over time and is sustained long term¹
To explore whether patients were receiving benefit that was not fully reflected in the response rates, they were assigned to categories according to "clinical benefit." This scale was defined a priori by the investigators and is consistent with studies in many chronic illnesses that define less than a 50% improvement as a clinically meaningful response (eg, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder). The analyses of clinical benefit over time suggest that VNS Therapy is associated with sustained or improving clinical benefits, including for those patients who realize minimal to no benefit after 3 months of VNS Therapy.²

• 73% of patients maintained clinical benefit¹
• 47% of patients with minimal or no benefit at 3 months achieved clinical benefit at 12 months¹
• 57% of patients realized some level of clinical benefit after 24 months of VNS Therapy¹

Hear from a patient
"VNS Therapy continued to improve my quality of life. Gradually through the years I was able to cut back on the number of medications I was taking and on the dosage amounts that I was taking. I was able to concentrate on larger projects, I was able to take on more responsibility, both at work and at home.

To talk about my life now versus before it, I don't recognize myself. I have a wonderful marriage where it was quite strained. I have a beautiful baby girl, I'm able to take care of my daughter, myself, my husband. We have a house I can take care of. I don't need to rely on other people for everything, to get me ready, to get me dressed – I can take care of myself."

— Karmen, VNS Therapy since 1999

Listen to this quote

1. Physician's Manual. VNS TherapyTM Pulse Model 102 Generator and VNS TherapyTM Pulse Duo Model Generator. Houston, Tex: Cyberonics, Inc; 2006.
2. Data on file. Cyberonics, Inc .