The FDA has granted ElectroCore’s gammaCore noninvasive vagus nerve stimulator (nVNS) a Breakthrough Device designation.

The device, which is designed to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), reduced symptoms in a clinical trial by 31 percent when compared to placebo, according to the Rockaway, N.J.-based company.

The study data also showed that the stimulation blocks sympathetic nervous system and inflammatory responses to memories of traumatic events in PTSD patients.