Method and apparatus are disclosed for treating and controlling anxiety disorders by detecting a manifestation of the disorder, and responding to the detection by selectively applying a programmed electrical signal to the patient's vagus nerve for stimulation thereof to increase vagal activity and vagal tone and thereby alleviate the symptoms of the disorder. The electrical signal may be appplied automatically to the vagus nerve in response to detection of a tachycardia, unrelated to exercise, or of hyperventilation, or of excessive perspiration or of collapse of the patient as indicative of onset of the disorder. Alternatively, the electrical signal is selectively applied at will (manually) to the vagus nerve, such as by patient activation of the signal generator (10). Parameter values of the electrical signal including pulse width, output current, frequency, on time and off time, are selectively programmable.
TREATMENT OF ANXIETY DISORDERS BY NERVE STIMULATION