The electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve involves using a device to stimulate the vagus nerve with electrical impulses. One implantable vagus nerve stimulation is currently approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to treat epilepsy and depression. Approximately a third of people with epilepsy do not completely respond to anti-convulsive medications. The stimulation of the vagus nerve can be an option to reduce the frequency of the convulsions in people who have not managed to have their epilepsy controlled with drugs. 

Chiari malformations are structural defects in which a small part of the back of the brain descends into the spinal canal, where it can impede the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. There are four types of Chiari malformation. Types 2, 3 and 4 can normally be identified at birth. Type 1, on which we are focusing here, develops as the skull and brain are growing throughout childhood and can often not be diagnosed until late infancy or adolescence. The treatments for type 1 Chiari malformation (CM1) vary depending on the size and the shape of the cranial malformation responsible for making the brain tissue descend and on the intensity of the symptoms. Most children on whom Chiari decompression surgery is carried out enjoy an improvement of their symptoms a week or two after the surgery.

Spina bifida is a congenital disorder in which the spinal column and the medullary canal do not close before birth, meaning that the spinal cord and the membranes that cover it protrude through the child's back. Myelomeningocele is one of the most common birth defects of the brain and the spinal cord. When this anomaly appears, the bones of the spine are not totally formed and the medullary canal is incomplete, meaning that the spinal cord and the meninges protrude through the child's back.

Spina bifida covers any congenital defect that involves the insufficient closure of the spinal column. Myelomeningocele is responsible for around 75% of all cases of spina bifida and can affect 1 in every 800 babies.

Early surgery can help to minimise the risk of suffering from an associated infection as well as helping to protect the spinal-cord from other injuries.