Efficacy and long-term tuning parameters of vagus nerve stimulation in long-term treated depressive patients

•Vagus nerve stimulation is effective in treatment-resistant depression.•Two-thirds of patients respond.•Long-term treated patients also show promising remission rates. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a promising neurostimulation tool for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression. Here, we report the effects of positive remission rates and tuning parameters in a group of 18 (6 female, 12 male, mean age 54) long-term treated patients. Treatment varied between 3 and 200months (mean 104.9months). Mean stimulation intensity was 1.46mA, ranging from 0.5 to 2.0mA and high-frequency stimulation of 20–25Hz (mean 23.61Hz). The remission rates in our study population clearly indicate ongoing positive effects of VNS and highlight stimulation tunings between 0.5 and 2.0mA and 20–25Hz as best dosage for achieving remittance in long-term treatment of VNS.