Vagus nerve stimulation is an experimental treatment that has helped patients with drug-resistant, long-term depression.[1][2] Most of the research participants had lived with depression for decades and had tried almost every other treatment option available.[2] According to the researchers, patients who improved after one year of treatment were more likely to maintain or increase their gains in subsequent years.[2] The treatment works by implanting tiny wires into the brain that detect brain activity and deliver electrical impulses that interrupt the signals that cause depression.[2] According to the US National Institute of Mental Health, 40 to 50 percent of people treated with deep brain stimulation show greater than 50 percent improvement.[2] The researchers stress that this is a highly personalized treatment that will require years of research to become useful for the general public.[2] Even some patients who did not respond to treatment initially improved after longer treatment.[2]