St. Jude Gets European OK For Migraine Treatment

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Medical device maker St. Jude Medical Inc. said Wednesday its Genesis implanted nerve stimulation system for treating migraines has been approved for sale in Europe.

The St. Paul, Minn., company's system received European CE Mark Approval. It was approved for peripheral nerve stimulation of the occipital nerves to help chronic migraine patients. In that therapy, electrical leads are placed under the skin and connected to a pacemaker-like neurostimulator that sends mild electrical pulses to the nerves, which lie beneath the skin in the back of the head.

Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by symptoms that can last for hours or days and include headaches, sensitivity to light, noise and motion and nausea.

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