Clearing the Traffic for Treating Major Depression

On this week's episode, we show an increased drive into vagus nerve stimulation clinical research. This FDA-approved therapy for major depressive disorder (MDD) is undergoing further trials in an effort to get it approved by big insurance carriers like Medicaid.Hasin DS, Sarvet AL, Meyers JL, et al. Epidemiology of adult DSM-5 major depressive disorder and its specifiers in the United States. JAMA Psychiatry. 2018;75(4):336–346. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.4602Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. DSM-5 Changes: Implications for child serious emotional disturbance [Internet]. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 2016. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519712/table/ch3.t5Luing H, Schramm E. Modern psychiatry offers new hope for depression. MedEvidence!. 2025. Accessed December 22, 2025.https://medevidence.com/modern-psychiatry-offers-new-hope-for-depressionNoetel M, Sanders T, Gallardo-Gómez D, Taylor P, del Pozo Cruz B, Van Den Hoek D, Smith JJ, Mahoney J, Spathis J, Moresi M, Pagano R. Effect of exercise for depression: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ. 2024 Feb 14;384. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38355154/US Food and Drug Administration. Premarket approval (PMA) for VNS Therapy system. US Department of Health & Human Services. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpma/pma.cfm?id=p970003s050LivaNova US. SYMMETRY for difficult to treat depression. Accessed December 22, 2025. https://www.livanova.com/depression/en-us/what-is-symmetryShare with a friend. Rate, Review, and Subscribe to MedEvidence! Articles to be notified when new episodes are released.Follow us on Social Media:FacebookInstagramTwitterLinkedInTiktokYoutubeFor more great content, including discussions by physicians and clinical research experts, check out the MedEvidence! Podcast and MedEvidence.comThank you for listening!