Vagus nerve stimulation was used in ten patients with recurrent anxiety disorders refractory to classical treatments. Seven of them improved (still persisting after six months).
The results of this small study raise hopes that it is vagus nerve stimulation that will prove to be a lifesaver for patients for whom other treatments have proved ineffective.

Vagus nerve stimulation is an accepted treatment for partial epileptic seizures. It also holds some promise for the treatment of depression.

An open study of 10 people (7 with obsessive-compulsive disorder, 1 with panic attacks, 3 with post-traumatic stress disorder) with an average illness of 10 years and a history of trying an average of 18 different treatments.