One out of three people with depression, or bipolar depression, have what is called ‘treatment resistant’ depression, or ‘difficult-to-treat’ depression. This means they have tried several treatments without success.
Even if several types of treatment haven’t worked for you – or have not worked well enough – there is still a chance that something else will.
The RECOVER Study is a research study that will provide new information about how helpful the VNS (Vagus Nerve Stimulation) Therapy® System is for patients with bipolar depression that has been difficult to treat.
VNS Therapy was approved by the FDA as a safe and effective treatment option for treatment resistant depression in 2005. It has been tested in several research studies and prescribed for more than 4,000 depression patients across the United States, which means doctors and patients already have experience with it.
Benefits of VNS Therapy1
Results with VNS Therapy + traditional treatment are better than with traditional treatment alone.
Results with VNS Therapy get stronger over time
Nearly 7 in 10 people significantly improved with VNS Therapy
Nearly 4 in 10 people fully or almost fully recovered
VNS Therapy provides significant, sustained quality of life improvement when added to traditional treatment.2
Sexual Function
Vitality
Emotional Wellbeing
Mental Health
Social Functioning
People who added VNS Therapy to their traditional treatments had sexual function scores that improved each year for 5 years. These scores generally worsened in patients receiving only traditional treatment.3
Patients receiving VNS Therapy with traditional treatments were 2X less likely to have suicidal thoughts than those using traditional treatments alone.1
A separate data analysis looking only at outcomes for those with bipolar depression found that
Patients experience reduction in depression Symptoms6
fully or almost fully recovered from their depression Symptoms5
fully or almost fully recovered
from their depression symptoms when VNS Therapy was
added to their usual treatment versus the usual treatment
alone1
VNS Therapy™ is safe and well tolerated
VNS Therapy is not a drug
Does not cause the same side effects that antidepressant medications can cause, including:
Does not cause the same side effects as other medication-free treatments can cause (e.g., ECT, TMS) including:
The most common side effects of VNS Therapy include voice changes (hoarseness), prickling or tingling in the skin, sore throat, and breathlessness. Side effects typically occur only when the pulses are being transmitted, and are noticed less as time goes on.
Although VNS Therapy is FDA-approved and has been shown to help people with treatment-resistant depression, Medicare only covers it for patients enrolled in the RECOVER Study, and other insurance companies don’t always cover it.
To change this, many of the nation’s top depression experts worked together to help design the RECOVER Study. If the results are like past studies, this may provide the proof Medicare and insurance companies need to start to cover it.
To join the RECOVER Study, you must be 18 years or older and:
VNS stands for ‘Vagus Nerve Stimulation’. VNS Therapy is an approved treatment for people with depression, and bipolar depression, who have not been helped enough by several other types of treatment, such as antidepressant medications (pills and tablets), antidepressant nasal sprays, psychotherapy (talk therapy), repetitive trans-magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
It does not cause the same side effects as antidepressant medications
It does not cause the same side effects as other medication-free treatments, like ECT and TMS
A clinical research study (also called a clinical trial) is a medical study that helps to answer important questions about a drug or device, such as: “How well does it work?” or “Does it cause side effects?” or “How effective is it compared to another drug/device?” Some clinical trials research new treatments. Others, like the RECOVER Study, want to learn more about a treatment that has already been approved by the FDA and prescribed to patients.
The RECOVER Study will last about 12 months, with another long-term follow-up period of 4 years. First, you will be invited to visit a study clinic in your area. At this visit, you will get details about the study and the medical team will find out if the study is right for you.
If you are in the study, you will go to at least 22 visits at a study clinic in your area. At these visits you be asked questions and fill out forms about how you are feeling, your overall health and about your experience with VNS Therapy.
Everyone in the study will get VNS Therapy. However, participants will be put into 2 groups, Group A and Group B. Group A will have VNS Therapy turned on at the beginning of the study. Group B will have VNS Therapy turned on after 12-months. There is an equal chance of being in Group A or B. No one, including your doctor, will know which group they are in. Your group will be chosen at random, like flipping a coin.
Things to consider
For the first 12 months of the study, you will be asked to visit the study center regularly, no matter which group you are put in. At these visits, your current mood and health will be checked. The device settings may also be adjusted. At later visits, you will be asked to fill out forms and answer questions about your mood, health and daily life. You will also be asked about your experience with VNS Therapy.
Option 1: Medicare, including Medicare Advantage and TriCare for Life (TFL), are currently the only health plans that provide reimbursement for the RECOVER Study. If you have one of these insurance types, you will get VNS Therapy and all study-related care at no cost to you.
If you do not have Medicare or Medicare Advantage, and wish to access VNS therapy, LivaNova has a program that can help.
Please visit our website @ https://symmetryvns.com/where you will find more information.
Option 2: If you qualify, and decide to participate in the study, VNS Therapy and all study related care will be provided to you at no cost.
Yes, you will be paid for each study visit you complete.
Yes, you can still see your current psychiatrist or doctor.
Yes. In fact, it is best not to change your current treatments in the first 12 months of the study. But if your doctor does decide to change them, it is important to let the study staff know right away.
Choosing to take part in the RECOVER Study is entirely your decision. You will still be entitled to receive your usual medical care, whatever you decide.
The more people who complete the study, the better the chance that the study will provide useful information about VNS Therapy. This information may help insurance companies decide to pay for it. The study team will help you in any way they can to make the visits as easy as possible for you. Your safety and comfort will always be their top concern.
What happens if I Sign Up? If you think you might like to join the RECOVER Study or would like more information, please enter your information below so we can see if you qualify.
What happens if I qualify for the study? If you qualify, we will match you to a study clinic in your area that is seeking participants or notify you when a study clinic becomes available. The study team will contact you to explain more about the study before you make your decision about participating. You will attend an in-person visit where the study team will help determine if you qualify and if the study is right for you. Even if you qualify, it is up to you whether to participate and you can withdraw at any time.
This Screening tool is for US residents only. If you are not a US resident, please do not complete this form.
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If you are a Health Care Provider that would like more information about the RECOVER Study, please enter your information below and one of our LivaNova representatives will contact you as soon as possible.